


The Universe of the Four Tanteis

by StargateNerd



Category: Fushigi Yuugi, Magic Kaitou, Meitantei Conan | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: But surprisingly enough not crack, F/M, I think/hope, M/M, Reincarnation, Weird-ass crossover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-04
Updated: 2012-09-09
Packaged: 2017-11-09 03:46:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 51
Words: 30,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/450896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StargateNerd/pseuds/StargateNerd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Fushigi Yuugi crew have been reincarnated as people from Detective Conan/Magic Kaito! Now they have to recover their memories while figuring out who they can trust. Meanwhile, Nakago has some dastardly plan up his sleeve as a mysterious string of murders comes to light, where all the victims, somewhere on their bodies, have a tattoo; a tattoo of a Celestial Warrior...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Of Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> I am going to apologize in advance, because the chapters for this story are very short, and quite honestly, I think it's written terribly. But I am still going to continue writing it (only a few chapters left honestly), and I hope you will all put up with me. Thank you.

Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Fushigi Yuugi. (brain breaks down from reality check) Nooooooooooooooooooo! (sobs incoherently)

* * *

"Ran! Hello, are you there?" Ran snapped out of her daze. "Honestly, you should pay more attention when someone's talking to you!" Sonoko scolded. Her face took on a sly, knowing grin. "Were you daydreaming about your husband?"

Ran blushed furiously. "O-of course not! And Shinichi is  _not_  my husband!"

"Riiight," her friend drawled. Her expression changed to something more serious. "What is wrong with you? You've seemed really out of it lately."

Ran sighed. "It's nothing. I just had a really weird dream last night."

"Oh? Do tell," Sonoko urged, eyes sparkling. "Anything about your husband?" Ran resigned herself to the ribbing, knowing it wouldn't do any good to protest anyways.

"Well, mainly they're about this bright red phoenix. You're there a lot, and so is Shinichi." She paused. "Sometimes that little girl Conan-kun is friends with is there too." Sonoko's brow furrowed in thought. She then shrugged care freely, a smile erasing her previous pensive expression.

"Ah, it's probably nothing. C'mon, I heard there's a great deal on shoes at the mall!" Dragging Ran along, Sonoko chatted a mile a minute, though inwardly she was in a turmoil.

 _Yessss! I found Miaka-chan, I found Miaka-chan_ , Nuriko chanted mentally in a singsong voice, floating on cloud nine. _Well, I'm pretty sure, anyhow. Who else would have those sorts of dreams, hmm? No one other than the Suzaku no Miko, that's who, Nuriko!_  The willow seishi's mood changed. _But how do I help her regain her memories? It's not like before with Taka; there are no stones, no scroll to enter. Arrrgh, this is so confusing! I'll have to call Mitsukake later. Maybe he'll have some idea of what to do._


	2. Of Corpses and Chiriko

Conan balanced the soccer ball on his head before bouncing it off to come rest on his foot. He sighed in frustration at the ever-present nagging feeling at the back of his head. It was like he'd forgotten something, something very important that he needed to know.

"So what are we going to do today?" Genta asked of no one in particular. The other three shrugged, while Haibara merely sat in silence, offering no opinion on that matter whatsoever.

Ayumi sighed. "I'm so bored; there's nothing to doooo!" she complained. Mitsuhiko sat up straight, his eyes bright.

"I have an idea! We could go to the library!" The others looked at him with "you-have- _got_ -to-be-kidding-me" expressions. Yeah, they were bored. However, they were merely bored, not crazy, and Genta said so. Ayumi placed a hand against the freckled boy's forehead, checking to see if he was warm. "I'm just a bookworm, not mentally ill," Mitsuhiko muttered under his breath.

'Chiriko.' The name suddenly came to the shrunken teen.

"Who?" asked Ai.

Conan started. He hadn't even realized he'd said it aloud. "Nothing," he told the blonde. "It just came to me all of a sudden." He turned away quickly to avoid her piercing gaze, only to feel a prickly feeling at the back of his neck that warned him he was being watched. Mitsuhiko was staring at the not-boy in a way that reminded him of Ran when she'd suspected Conan was actually Shinichi. Needless to say, it made him extremely nervous.

Suddenly, a shriek echoed throughout the park. "He's dead!" a woman screamed. The Shonen Tantei leapt into action, Conan at the forefront of the group. Being several steps ahead of the others, he saw the grisly scene first, his eyes widening in horror.

Pinned to a tree with a sword was a man, though it was hard to tell, since his body was covered with so much blood that it was hardly recognizable as a human being. The victim's right arm was severed off to one side. Holding up an arm, Shinichi tired to force the others back.

"What are you doing, Conan?" Genta demanded.

"You don't want to see," the shrunken tantei said in a low, intense tone. However, the others could see past him since he was shorter.

Ayumi shrunk back, whimpering, while Ai's expression remained unchanged, save for an angry glint in her eyes as her jaw clenched. The other two boys looked rather green around the gills. Ice cold fury rushed through Shinichi. _Children shouldn't be exposed to something like this._

Inspector Megure said nearly the exact same thing when he and his team arrived on the scene. The woman who'd initially found the body was being comforted by Sato until she calmed down. Megure noticed the normally noisy children were staying away from the body; well, aside from Conan, that is.

 _He's an odd child. Smart for his age and nearly fearless… that's a dangerous combination_ , the mustached police chief thought. "Did you find anything?" he asked Takagi, who was examining the wallet of the victim.

"A small amount of money, a library card belonging to Daiko Kanekaza, and a driver's license addressed to the same," Takagi listed.

"How about that sword?" Megure motioned to what appeared to be the murder weapon.

"Nothing too distinguishing about it," Takagi informed his superior. "There, is, however, an engraving on the hilt." A fierce-looking dragon glared out from amid the splatters of dried blood.

"A gang symbol?" Sato, who'd finished comforting the other witness as best she could, wondered. Takagi shrugged.

"Possibly. It's Seiryuu, one of the four gods of Chinese astrology." The others looked at him curiously. The tanned officer ducked his head, embarrassed at the attention. "I took a couple mythology courses in college."

"Do you know the story of  _The Universe of the Four Gods_ , then?" The officers looked down to see the source of the question. Surprisingly, it was not Conan, but Mitsuhiko who asked.

"Yes, I do," Takagi told the freckled boy, smiling.

"My favorite character is Chiriko," Mitsuhiko told Wataru cheerfully.

"Really?" Takagi mused. "My favorite character is Mitsukake."

"'Tama, Tama, here's some fish!'" Mitsuhiko quoted, laughing.

Conan was half-listening to the conversation, a smile tugging at his lips. Their banter was so familiar, as if the two were old friends. It was rather nostalgic, really. He frowned as he examined the body a little closer. On the left palm was a symbol. An image crossed his mind:

… _a tall, foreboding man, dressed in orange. A cat perched on his shoulder, his ever-constant companion. Despite his tough appearance, the healer smiled kindly as he tended to his wounds. A voice said to him: "You're finally back among us-"_

"Conan-kun!" The not-boy started at the sound of Sato's tone. "Honestly, poking around a dead body like this!" she admonished. Picking him up, she ignored his sounds of protest and set him down a short distance away from the body. "Leave things like this to the police," the female officer stated, hands on hips in a "don't-even- _try_ -to-push-me" stance.

"But I-" Sato cut him off with a glare. Thwarted, Conan trudged back to his pint-sized companions as Mitsuhiko and Takagi continued to discuss the story they both knew of.

The chibi tantei frowned. What was it about that symbol that seemed so familiar? Shaking his head, Shinichi tried to focus on the issue at hand. There was a mystery here, and as a detective, it was his job to solve it.


	3. Seishi Intro

Sonoko sighed and flopped down on her bed. It had been such a  _pain_  not to try to jog Ran-chan's memory. _First things first,_ she thought. _I have to call Mitsukake-kun._

* * *

"Is that so?" Takagi mused. "Now that you mention it, I have always felt a sort of… kinship towards Ran-kun."

"But when you think about it, it doesn't make any sense!" Sonoko insisted. "Why would only us two remember? I would think Miaka would be the first to remember!"

"Well, actually, it's us three now," Takagi informed her.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Sonoko exclaimed.

"Hi, Nuriko-kun!" chirped a young voice. "It's me, Chiriko!"

"Little Chiriko?" She paused, trying to place the voice. "Mitsuhiko-kun? Huh, who'da thunk? I would have thought it'd be chibi-chan. You know how bright Conan-kun is."

"He might be someone else, though," Mitsuhiko said. He explained what had happened earlier that day. "It's possible that Conan could be the reincarnation of another celestial warrior, or someone connected to us."

"So, how did you two meet?" Sonoko pried for details. Upon hearing about the body she frowned. "There was an engraving of Seiryuu on the hilt?"

"Yes. And also, on the deceased's left palm was a tattoo. It was the symbol for Mitsukake," Takagi told his fellow warriors.

"Is it just a coincidence? Or do you think it could be a warning from a Seiryuu warrior?" Mitsuhiko suggested.

"If so, then we have to protect Ran-chan!" Sonoko declared heartily. The other two agreed. "Though I wish it was more than just us three," Sonoko sighed. "It's lonely without Hotohori-sama."

"You're still carrying that torch for him, Nuriko?" teased Mitsuhiko gently. She 'hmmph'ed.

"At least I'm not as bad as Ran and Shinichi. Honestly, the way they act, they could be-" she stopped suddenly, eyes widening.

"Nuriko? Are you still there?" asked Takagi.

"When Ran was telling me about the dreams she had… she said that me and Shinichi were in them a lot. And her and that mystery geek act like they're married sometimes… what if Shinichi is Tamahome?"

"You think clues to the identities of the other warriors may be in her dreams?" asked Takagi.

"It's possible," Mitsuhiko agreed.

"Besides, it's not like we have a crystal ball this time, is it?" Sonoko laughed.

"So, it's a likely bet that Kudo-kun is Tamahome," Takagi mused. "Did Ran-kun say anything else about her dreams?"

"Mitsuhiko, what's the name of the little blonde girl who you hang out with sometimes?" Sonoko inquired.

"You mean Ai-chan?" the freckled boy replied. "What about her?"

"Well, Ran said she was in her dreams sometimes as well," Sonoko told him.

"Interesting," Takagi murmured. "Chiriko, can you monitor Conan-kun and Ai-chan for right now?"

"I'll keep an eye on them," Mitsuhiko promised.

"I wonder where the others are?" Sonoko wondered.

* * *

**_Meanwhile..._ **

In Ekoda High, Hakuba narrowed his eyes at Kaito. The teen magician had been acting strangely lately, and he was certain it was connected to KID somehow.

"Watching the well, hmm?" Akako asked, suddenly appearing beside him.

"Huh?" Hakuba articulately inquired of the sorceress.

"Fish live in water, you know," she cryptically told the detective before slipping away to her desk, leaving him even more befuddled than before.

_Fish? Water? Well? What is she talking about?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, we have Nuriko, Mitsukake, Chiriko, Miaka, and possibly Tamahome. And now Kaito's been acting strange... And somehow Hakuba wormed his way in there ^^;


	4. The Note

"Kazuha, Heiji's here!" her mother called up the stairs.

"In a minute, Mom! Tell Heiji he's going to have to wait like a normal person!" Said 'normal person' frowned. He'd come to pick Kazuha up for their trip to visit Ku- er, Conan, and his girlfriend. Maybe the shrimp  _was_  right and he needed to work on getting his name right.

Kazuha came down the stairs, frowning at him. "Well, come on, ahou! With the rate you're going, we'll be there next week!"

Heiji snorted, then threaded his arm through hers. "All right, princess. Let's go."

* * *

"Kazuha-chan!" Ran and Sonoko exclaimed, greeting the Osakan girl.

"Yo, Ku-nan," Heiji caught himself just in time to avoid saying the shrunken teen's name.

"Ohayo, Heiji-niisan," Conan chirped happily.

"You know, that really creeps me out, Kudo," Hattori muttered.

"Whatever," the chibi muttered back.

"Did you see in the paper this morning?" Sonoko asked eagerly. "KID sent a note; there's going to be a heist!" Immediately, the boys gravitated towards the girls.

"Can I see that?" Heiji asked before snatching the paper away.

"At least he asked before taking it," Kazuha comforted Sonoko, who glared at Heiji. He didn't notice, though, because he and Conan were already immersed deciphering the note. It read:

_Pillar of iron grip_

_Corporate leader under six feet_

_Suzaku's chosen high in sky_

_Legend writ memoriam 'wing'_

Heiji and Shinichi frowned. The first part of the riddle was pretty simplistic, and the Osakan said so.

"How so?" the girls queried.

"Well, pillar of iron grip, that'd be a vise," Heiji explained.

"Corporate leader would be a president," Conan said. "Under six feet, if you rearrange it, is six feet under, an American phrase for when a person is dead and buried."

"Applying 'vise' from before, we get 'vice-president.' 'Six feet under' plus 'vice-president' gets us the funeral, or maybe the wake, for a vice-president of a company." Heiji frowned. "It's just the other half I don't get."

"'Suzaku's chosen high in sky, Legend writ memoriam "wing."' Wing being in quotes," Conan added.

The girls stared. It took the boys  _that_  long to figure out the first half of the riddle? They  _were_  good. Sonoko frowned. Suddenly, an idea came to her. " _The Universe of the Four Gods!"_

The others stared. "Huh?"

" _The Universe of the Four Gods_  is a text, carrying the stories of the priestesses of Genbu, Byakku, Seiryuu, and Suzaku," she told them excitedly. "'Wing' is the symbol for the Suzaku shichiseishi Tasuki!" Suddenly conscious of the stares, she turned her nose up at them. "What? I carry a vested interest in mythology."

"Okaaaay," Hattori sweat dropped. "Then, all we have to do is find what time the constellation Tasuki reaches its peak."

"Hey, Ran-neechan, does your dad have any astronomy books?" Conan asked Ran.

"Mmm, I don't think so, Conan-kun." She shook her head.

"I guess we're going to the library, then," Kazuha suggested.

The boys started. "Who said you were coming with us?" Heiji asked.

"If it weren't for Sonoko, you wouldn't have figured out the rest of the riddle," Ran argued.

Sonoko grinned at her friends. "That's right. You owe me, so I say we're coming with you."

"Fine, fine," both boys agreed, disgruntled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And now Kaitou KID indirectly enters the mix, along with Heiji and Kazuha! Sorry if the riddle's crappy; I'm not very good at that kind of thing. I'm still not very good at that thing -_-;;


	5. Research

The five took the bus to the downtown library, leaving Hattori's motorbike behind. Splitting up, they perused for the book Sonoko had told them about,  _The Universe of the Four Gods_. After 15 minutes, they met back up.

"Was anyone able to find it?" Conan asked. The others shook their head.

"I was able to find a book on Chinese astrology, though," Kazuha told them, setting her book down on the table. The four teens and the not-boy gathered around the table to search for the Suzaku constellations.

"Found it!" Hattori exclaimed. Several people shushed him, and he had sense enough to at least  _act_  abashed. "Tasuki is part of the constellation Crater."

Conan blinked. There, in the book was the name from earlier. Chiriko, in the constellation Hydra. Why would the name of a  _star_  suddenly occur to him?

"Hotohori-sama," Sonoko sighed, her tone wistful. The others looked strangely at her. "Sorry, lost in memory," Sonoko smiled slightly.

 _About a star from the Suzaku constellations?_  Hattori thought skeptically.

"Well, now we know when that thief will strike; when the constellation Crater is at its peak. Now we just need a newspaper," Conan chirped. He and Heiji were already halfway out of the library, and Ran, Sonoko, and Kazuha struggled to catch up with them. The latter stopped quickly to put the book back.

The three girls caught up to Conan and Heiji at the corner, where they had already purchased a newspaper and were browsing through the obituaries. "Wait up, will you ahou?" Kazuha demanded, panting slightly. But Heiji wasn't even paying attention, trawling through the announcements with Conan.

"Found it," Shinichi announced triumphantly. Heiji nodded, smiling grimly. "Tomorrow evening, Beika Crematorium is holding the wake for Jun Karishima, Vice-President of Ohmori Corporation. Also on display will be the Weeping Wisteria, an amethyst passed down in his family. According to the article, it's going to be donated to a museum afterwards."

"We have to tell Nakamori-keibu about this!" Ran exclaimed.

"Yeah, unless that stiff-assed, small-fry chaser Brit has figured it out first," Heiji growled.

* * *

Much to the Osakan's delight, Hakuba had only solved part of the riddle; that is  _where_  it would take place, not  _when_. As Hattori gloated over Hakuba with the others looking on in disinterest, Sonoko thought.

_Why would KID put Suzaku in his riddle? Is he trying to send a message to Tasuki's reincarnation? Or is KID Tasuki himself? Maybe Mitsukake-kun or Chiriko-chan will have some ideas._

Unfortunately, Takagi was busy with paperwork, and Mitsuhiko was at his aunt's. There  _was_  one more person she could try to contact. "Hey, Ran, do you have a phone number to contact your husband?"

"He's not my husband, Sonoko, and Shinichi usually calls me, although I do have his cell phone number. Why?" Ran asked, looking at her friend curiously.

"I just want to make sure that mystery geek hasn't cut all ties with you. I mean, who knows, he could be gone for all this time because he found a new  _girlfriend_." Looking down slightly, she couldn't help noticing that Conan stiffened and looked a bit… mad. "Oi, chibi-chan, what's the matter?" Sonoko asked, poking the boy.

He looked up with an innocent expression. "I think Shinichi-niisan should call Ran-neechan more often. I mean, he does like her, but he just… well…"

"Oh? And how do you know that Conan-kun?" Ran asked the now blushing boy.

"Um, well, I'm a tantei, I observe things and… stuff," he blurted the last word.

"Is that so? Well, then how come I, Deduction Queen Sonoko, don't notice things like that?" Sonoko inquired, put out.

"I don't know," he replied bluntly.

"Oh my! We better get going, Conan-kun. Tou-san's hopeless without me at dinner time," Ran added wryly.

"Yeah, I don't think your dad could boil water to save his life," Sonoko snorted. Laughing, Ran grasped Conan's hand and took off with her young charge. Sonoko continued on. _I'll see them tomorrow night at the heist,_ she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing Hattori and Hakuba bickering! :D Well, the heist takes place next chapter. Wonder what Kai-chan has up his sleeve, hmm?


	6. Heists and Chichiri

Unfortunately, the KID heist was not open to the general public. The owner of the crematorium objected to even the police being there, and it took a lot of shouting to persuade to let at least Hakuba, Nakamori, and a couple of other officer in. Some way or another, Mouri had managed to sneak in, Conan and Heiji tagging along. Heiji and Hakuba's temperaments clashed more than once as they waited for the heist to take place. Shinichi tried to intervene once or twice, but finally just gave up and watched the two in semi-amusement.

There was one person in particular who caught his eye; a young man who seemed to be in his early 20s. His hair was a light sky blue, and his bangs stuck up in such a way that probably was impossible without hair gel or something. Most of the people avoided his immediate vicinity. Curious, the shrunken tantei went up to him.

"Hi!" he chirped in a childish voice.

"Hello," the man answered pleasantly. His face had a cat-like quality to it. "Did you know the deceased, then, no da?"

Conan shook his head. "I'm learning from ojii-san how to be a detective. How come you keep saying 'no da' at the end of your sentences?"

"Oh, that? I actually don't know why, na no da. I've always said 'no da', no da." He smiled. "Kaitou KID is supposed to appear tonight, isn't he? As Tasuki rises?"

Conan stiffened slightly, his eyes narrowing. "How do you know that?"

"Chichiri has his ways, no da," the man winked at him. "But now I must depart Tamahome, no da!"

Suddenly, a bright flash of light occurred, leaving the residents of the room blinded. "Ladies and gentlemen!" the voice of KID boomed. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm afraid I have to go!" Smoke filled the room, masking the thief's presence.

Conan cursed under his breath. He should have realized it was KID earlier! But he didn't think the thief would disguise himself as someone so conspicuous. Then again, this  _was_  KID he was talking about.

As the smoke thinned a little, he spotted Heiji and hurried over. "Hattori! Did you see which way he went?"

"No, and the jewel's gone!" They exchanged glances, both coming to the same conclusion.

"The rooftop!"

They hurried up the stairs. At some point, Hakuba caught up to them. "You had the same idea?" Not waiting for an answer, the blond continued on.

All of a sudden, a figure appeared. "Hello there, no da!" a chibi version of the man KID had disguised himself as earlier hung down from the ceiling, dressed in the trademark white tuxedo.

"KID!" Hakuba exclaimed, immediately on guard for any trickery.

"Now, now, you wouldn't hurt a little chibi, would you?" asked chibi KID. Heiji cracked his knuckles, Hakuba narrowed his eyes to dangerous slits, and Shinichi bent down to switch on his super-powered shoes.

"Eh heh heh heh, maybe you would, I guess, no da," KID nervously chuckled. "I bid you farewell!" Jumping down, he pulled off his top hat, then disappeared through it before any of the detectives could act.

"Where did he go?" Hakuba exploded. He picked up the hat and peered in it closely. The Brit reared back as the blue-haired chibi's head came up through the hole.

"Forgot my hat, no da! Bye, tanteis!" With a 'poof,' the hat disappeared too.

Hakuba blinked. "He's gone."

"So he is," Conan agreed.

"What the hell? How can you two be so fuckin' calm?" Hattori exploded vehemently. "We gotta go after that fuckin' thief!"

Hakuba stared at the Osakan rather distastefully. "Must you be so crude? And if you hadn't noticed, he's kind of disappeared!"

The two began yet another of their infamous arguments, leaving Conan to attract their attention; and failing rather miserably. They finally stopped when the chibi tantei hit both of them with a soccer ball. It shut them up for a little bit, before they started again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now Chichiri enters the picture! Did I mention how much I love writing Hakuba and Heiji fighting? And thanks go to my sister (a.k.a. FiraKam) for helping me from chibi KID to the end of the chapter!


	7. Reincarnation?

Conan received permission from Ran's dad to hitch a ride back with Heiji. "You know," he shouted over the noise of the engine, "KID didn't appear at the appointed time."

"Yeah," Heiji agreed. "Crater hasn't reached its peak yet."

"There's something else," Conan added. "Something that tipped me off when KID was in disguise is how he knew intimate details about the heist. When I asked him about it, he told me that 'Chichiri has his ways.' Then he called me 'Tamahome.'"

"Weren't those names from the Suzaku constellations? From the book in the library?" Hattori questioned.

"Yeah," Conan confirmed.

"Why would KID be talkin' 'bout stars from Chinese astrology?" The Osakan wondered.

"And why would he put Tasuki in the riddle if it doesn't pertain to the heist?" thought Conan. There was a thoughtful silence, broken only by the sounds of the wind whooshing past them.

"Hey, Kudo," Heiji broke the silence. "I know this may sound crazy an' illogical an' everythin', but…" He paused. "Do you believe in reincarnation?"

"Why do you ask?" the shrunken tantei inquired.

"Jus' answer my question," Heiji told him sternly.

"Well, not really. I mean, I've never thought about it in-depth before. Why do you ask?" Shinichi's curiosity was piqued now.

"Well, I've been havin' these really weird dream lately. I'm this bandit, and I have to protect this girl… she actually reminds me a lot of yer girlfriend." Shinichi opened his mouth to protest that he and Ran weren't boyfriend and girlfriend, but Heiji continued on.

"An' these dreams, well, they're too real to be  _jus'_  dreams, ya know? The other day, it was like I was completely out of it. I called Kazuha 'Kouji.' Now, I've never read, met, or head of anyone or anything by that name." His voice dropped so Conan could barely hear him. "I can't explain any of it."

"We're detectives, Hattori. It's our  _job_  to explain the unexplained, ne?" They both grinned.

"Yer right about that, Kudo. But seriously, when I think about this logically, I can only come up with this explanation. I think I'm Tasuki."

"Tasuki is a star in the southern constellations, not an actual person," Conan protested.

"I dunno, Kudo. I can feel it in my bones that there's somethin' bigger out there, and we're part of it."

"You sound like an old man," Conan told him dryly. Then he frowned. "You think the southern constellations are represented by actual people?"

"It actually makes sense when you think about it that way. KID says he's Chichiri, then he calls you Tamahome, an' I've been havin' these freaky, weird-ass dreams," Heiji reasoned.

"We should get more information if we investigate this further. If the constellations are related to people, then there should be a myth or legend about them," mused Shinichi.

"Hey, didn't Sonoko figure out the Suzaku clue?" Heiji realized.

"Yes, and she said she had 'a vested interest in mythology.'" Conan peered at the back of the Osakan's head. "You think she knows something? Maybe is someone?"

"In any case, whether she is or not, what 'bout that book she mentioned?"

" _The Universe of the Four Gods_ ," Conan supplied.

They pulled up to the Mouri Detective Agency, and Heiji helped Conan down from his bike. "We'll have to go to the library tomorrow to research that book some more. Maybe yer dad has some info on it in yer house?"

Conan shrugged, not sure if there was anything that would help them in his father's library. "Maybe." He gazed up in the sky. The street lights were mostly off, leaving the sky full of visible pinpricks of light. "Hey, look. Crater's at its peak now."

Both of them craned their heads, staring at the constellation mentioned in KID's note. One star seemed to glow with a soft light, bathing the street and the two detectives in it. Heiji's expression turned blank. "Hey, Hattori, are you okay?" Shinichi asked, a little worried. After a moment, the Osakan's expression turned to one of realization.

"I-" Heiji's voice choked. "That damn monk," he grinned morbidly. "Just like him, all cryptic and all." Then his face lit up. "I gotta go, Kudo, but I'll see you later!" Heiji jammed on his helmet and took off on his motorbike.

"Hattori, wait!" Conan yelled after him. He was extremely confused at the moment. _What the hell just happened?_ the shrunken tantei thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Mwahahaha! The plot thickens...


	8. Partial Truth

The next morning, Mitsuhiko woke up at 9:00 a.m., rather early for him considering it was the weekend. He went downstairs to make some toast. "Good morning!" he chirped to his parents. The freckled boy stopped short as he saw the front page of the morning paper his dad was reading. "Can I see that?" Mitsuhiko asked hurriedly.

"When I'm done reading it," his father replied. After breakfast, Mitsuhiko snatched the paper, slipped on his sneakers and ran to the bus stop. Taking the bus downtown, he stopped by the police station.

"Is Takagi-keiji here?" he asked the desk sergeant.

"Mitsuhiko-kun!" Speaking of which, there he was.

"Takagi-keiji! I need to talk to you!" The officer's gaze traveled to the newspaper for a second before nodding.

Takagi's office was small and his desk cluttered with paperwork. "Look." Mitsuhiko thrust the front page of the paper at Takagi. He looked at the picture on the front page and sat down, head in hands.

"Oh, great," Wataru muttered.

On the front page was a picture of the KID heist, taken by an anonymous person. It was chibi KID, except he had a very familiar cat-like face, blue hair, and long bangs. " _Kaitou KID_ is Chichiri?" Takagi moaned miserably. "I wonder if Nuriko knows about this…"

* * *

In fact, the flirtatious seishi  _did_  know about it. A shrill scream followed by a loud crash echoed throughout the Suzuki household. A very angry-looking Sonoko stormed down the stairs and out the door, leaving a confused and frazzled staff behind.

Taking much the same route as Mitsuhiko, Sonoko, too, went to the police station. "Is Takagi-keiji here?" she demanded of the desk sergeant, who was looking a little scared of the enraged girl.

"Uh, um, he's in his office," the officer stuttered, pointing down the hall. Nodding curtly, she went the way he'd pointed.

"Mitsukake!" she exclaimed. Both seishi started. Their fellow shichiseishi's battle aura was enormous, setting off all sorts of alarms. "Oh, Chiriko-chan, I wasn't aware you were here. Did you see the paper this morning?" Sonoko barreled on. "Oh, it's so maddening! KID-sama… Chichiri… Ahhhhh!" She punched the wall, making a hole in it.

Sonoko blinked. "Oops." She inspected her hand. "Huh. That didn't even hurt!" She grinned at Mitsuhiko and Takagi, who were both looking very scared. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing!" Mitsuhiko squeaked. "Nothing at all."

"Well, it at least explains why there were references to Suzaku in the note," Sonoko mused, pacing.

"What?" Takagi exclaimed. "There were?"

"Yes, there were," Sonoko nodded. "Didn't you know?"

"Division Two handles KID heists," the officer explained. "Division One, which I belong to, handles other things, mainly murders."

"Well, KID being Chichiri would explain the Suzaku references," Mitsuhiko agreed. "But why Tasuki? What was the purpose of it?"

"I don't know! Oh, this is so frustrating! Urrrrgggghh!" Mitsuhiko and Takagi could practically see the steam venting from Sonoko's ears.

"N-Nuriko, calm down!" Takagi urged, trying to keep her from doing anything stupid like, oh, say, picking up his desk or something and throwing it. "This is more how Tasuki or Tamahome would behave, not you!" he semi-gently scolded.

"Somebody mention my name?" The three stopped in amazement as Heiji entered the room, a familiar smirk on his face.

"Hattori-kun?" Takagi questioned warily.

"Nah, it's Tasuki," the Osakan grinned.

"Tasuki!" Mitsuhiko cried, running up to the older boy and hugging him.

"Hey, Chiriko," Heiji greeted him softly, his features softening.

"When did you get here?" asked Takagi.

"I was in town when the KID note came, and I helped decipher it. Finally beat that stiff-assed Brit!" Heiji proclaimed. The others sweat dropped as he continued. "After the heist last night I regained my memories. Not exactly sure how it happened, but figurin' that KID is Chichiri, he prob'ly planned the heist on the night that 'Tasuki rises' to lure me here and regain my memories."

"Ha ha ha! I never would've guess you were Tasuki!" Sonoko laughed.

"Well, I wouldn't have imagined you as Nuriko, either," Heiji retorted. "I would've thought it'd be neechan."

"No, but we think that Ran may be Miaka's reincarnation," Takagi interjected. "She told Nuriko that she'd been having dreams about a bright red phoenix lately. Who else would have dreams like that but the Suzaku no Miko?"

"What are you doing here at the police station anyhow?" Sonoko asked, suddenly suspicious. Heiji showing up and saying he was Tasuki reminded her of when Amiboshi had posed as Chiriko.

"I was looking for you, actually. Me and Ku- I mean, I was thinkin' last night, and I was wonderin' how you knew 'bout Suzaku and Tasuki and all that stuff. I went to yer house, but they said you'd stormed off in a tiff this mornin', sayin' you were goin' to the police station." The Osakan glanced at the hole in the wall. "I'm guessin' this is 'bout KID, huh?"

"Mm-hmm," Mitsuhiko nodded. He held up the paper for Heiji to see.

"I'm going to kill him," he calmly declared. "Idiotic, infuriating monk, I'm going to kill him. First I'm gonna find a substitute for my harisen, then I'm gonna barbecue him." All this was said in a calm voice with a completely straight face.

"Sorry, you'd probably only be able to singe him a little. We need him, since we still have to find Tamahome and Hotohori, and Miaka hasn't regained her memory yet. Chichiri would most likely be able to help us in both those areas," Takagi argued.

Heiji stopped. "Hotohori and Tamahome?" The others nodded. "Tamahome?" he repeated.

"Yeah. We suspect that Kudo-kun is Tamahome, 'cause him and Ran are practically like a married couple," Sonoko explained.

Hattori burst out laughing. "Y-you think Kudo is Tamahome?" he sputtered.

"Yes, we do," Sonoko growled, warning the wing seishi, who, oblivious, continued laughing.

"O-oh boy. Kudo," Heiji panted. He started laughing again.

"Stop it already!" Sonoko ordered, punching the wall soundly, cracking the plaster. The laughter subsided, though an occasional fit wracked Hattori's frame.

"Sorry, it's just… Kudo is Tamahome." He snickered.

"Why do you find that so funny anyways?" Sonoko demanded.

"Well, it's just, I know Kudo, and…" he started laughing again until Sonoko hit him over the head.

"Ow! What the hell'd ya do that fer!" the bandit demanded.

"You wouldn't shut up," Sonoko deadpanned. "And are you saying you've seen him recently?"

"You could say that," Heiji replied warily.

"Could you tell us where?" Takagi inquired.

Taking in the expressions on his fellow seishi's faces, Heiji knew they weren't going to leave this alone. _I can't tell them the truth, though, then they'd be in danger if Kudo ever got found out. But… well, I can probably tell them part of the truth,_ he decided.

Heiji sighed. "Look, I might as well tell ya, but I'd appreciate if ya wouldn't relay this to neechan. You know Kudo's showed up from time to time, solvin' cases, right?" he asked Takagi.

The officer nodded. "Yes, he had. It's odd, though, because he always asks us not to mention his help on it."

"Eh?" Sonoko exclaimed. "You sure it's the  _real_  Kudo Shinichi?"

"That'd be because he's hiding," Heiji explained. The other three seishi's attention was fixed solely on him.

"Hiding? From what? Or who?" Mitsuhiko asked.

"Look, long story short, he saw somethin' he shouldn't have, and now the organization that they're a part of is lookin' for him. He's hidin' right now, but if they find him, they'll probably kill him. As a fellow tantei, he came to me fer help."

"Why hasn't he told Ran anything, then?" Sonoko exploded. "Doesn't he know how much she's worried about him?"

"He didn't want ta put her in any danger, okay? And if I was in his position, I'd probably do the same!" Hattori retorted. "Believe me, he's wished time and again he could tell her!" The tension in the room was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Mitsuhiko and Takagi watched as the two squared off, their stances aggressive.

"If it makes Nuriko feel any better, maybe she could just go with you to talk to Kudo-kun," Takagi suggested. Hattori shook his head in declination.

"We're fellow Suzaku seishi," Sonoko said, her voice quiet. "Can't you trust us?"

"I  _do_ , but I can't just do somethin' like that without consultin' Kudo first. If they learned he was alive, he wouldn't be the only one at risk." The Osakan's eyes met theirs, serious. "He's on the run with another person who's also hiding from the Black Organization. Plus, anyone who was even  _suspected_  of knowin' somethin' 'bout them would be killed." His words seemed to echo slightly in the small office.

"I wouldn't be," Mitsuhiko objected.

"Yer friends with Conan-kun, aren'tcha? He's related ta Kudo, and is actually helping us to conceal the other person we're hiding."

"At least-" Sonoko's voice trailed off. "At least ask him to tell Ran this, or part of this. It's not fair if she doesn't know."

Hattori nodded. "I'll try."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ha ha, this is one of the longest chapters of the entire story x3;; Anyway, remember to R&R, and I'm also happy to announce that, yes, several FBI operatives will be making appearances in this fic! Later on, though, so don't expect them for a while.


	9. Dreams or Reality?

"Dad, I'm home! Chuei, Shunkei, Gyokuran, Yuiren…" he stopped short. The inside of the house was filled with blood. The bodies of his father and siblings lay where they'd fallen. Behind him, Miaka gasped. "Wh… what the hell?" he asked to the copper-scented air. "This… this is a joke, right?"

"T-Tamahome…" Yuiren twitched.

"Yuiren!" Tamahome cried. He picked his youngest sister up quickly, cradling her in his arms. "W-who did this? What-"

"I'm glad you're back, Tamahome," Yuiren told him, smiling despite her terrible injuries. "I-I've been a good girl."

"No, Yuiren, don't speak! Save your strength," Tamahome told her desperately.

"I-I made you a present," she smiled, holding a little bracelet made of berries and leaves. Suddenly her features changed, and he was holding Ayumi. "You're going to bring your bride home, Conan-kun, and then we'll all be together…"

The scene changed. "Nakago!" The blonde general turned.

"Well, Tamahome, you're looking well, considering your family and one of your friends were murdered," Nakago smirked.

Hot anger raced through his veins. "Don't play around with me, you bastard!" he roared. A great blast of red chi formed in his hands. Nakago merely smirked. Then, his features melted, combining with Gin's.

"Can you solve  _this_  mystery, Kudo Shinichi?" the murderer sneered. "What's so precious to you and yet you yourself destroyed it?"

In the reflection of his nemesis's eyes, Tamahome saw himself attacking… himself. At the last second, he saw Ran throw herself in front of him, taking the brunt of the blow.

"No!" he cried. "MIAKA!"

* * *

Shinichi woke with a start, sweat-drenched and panting, a scream trying to claw its way past his throat. His head felt like it was being pounded with a jackhammer. Quietly getting up, he padded to the bathroom for a glass of water.

 _That dream… it was so real…_  He groaned, kneading his temples. _Is this what Hattori was talking about? Has he been having dreams like that too?_

A remnant of his dream flashed by; him holding Ayumi's dead body. Nausea suddenly rushed through him, and he hurried to open a window. The shrunken tantei breathed in the fresh morning air, calming himself as best he could.

"It was just a dream," he murmured. "Just a dream." Still, he couldn't shake the feelings of dread and despair off. If it was just a dream, why did it feel so…  _real_?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I _hated_ in Volume 7 when Suboshi killed Tamahome's family. I hated having to look over that chapter again and again when I first wrote this and I still hate it now... ;^;


	10. Let Me Tell You A Story...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There is now fanart for this story! I have everyone except for Hotohori, because we haven't met him yet and I don't want to give away any spoilers. It's posted on DA under my same username, StargateNerd.

The phone rang, and Ran answered it. "Moshi moshi, Mouri Detective Agency. Hattori-kun? You want to talk to Conan-kun? I'll get him. Conan-kun!" she called. He popped out of the kitchen.

"Yeah, Ran-neechan?"

"Here, Hattori-kun wants to talk to you." She handed him the phone, then went back to collecting the laundry.

"Hello?" Conan said.

"Hey, Kudo. I gotta talk to ya 'bout last night, what we were talkin' 'bout," Heiji informed him.

"I told you not to call me that, Hattori!" Shinichi hissed. "What if someone overheard you?"

"I'm in a locked phone booth all on my lonesome, how could anyone 'overhear' me?" asked the Detective of the West. "Look, I'll meet ya at hakase's house, okay?"

"Fine, fine," Conan grumbled. "See you there." He hung up.

"Ran-neechan, I'm going to hakase's to play!" he chirped to her.

"All right, Conan-kun!" Ran called back. "Just be back around lunch time, okay?"

"OK! Ja ne, Ran-neechan!"

Conan rode over to Professor Agasa's on his skateboard. _Hattori said he wanted to talk about what we were talking about last night. I wonder if he's found out something more._

As he neared Agasa's, he could see Hattori was already there by the familiar motorbike parked in front.

"Ah, Shinichi, how are you doing?" the elderly inventor asked him inside.

"I'm okay. Tired, though," he replied.

"You didn't sleep well, Kudo-kun?" Ai asked, looking up from the fashion magazine she was reading. "What a coincidence." She looked directly at him, blue-gray eyes piercing his very soul. "What a coincidence," she murmured again, glancing back to her magazine.

"Yo, Kudo!" Hattori came out of the kitchen, waving to him.

"Hey, Hattori. What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"C'mon." The Osakan left the room, going outside on the steps. Bewildered, Conan followed the other boy, waving a short goodbye to the professor and his charge.

"How come we had to come outside? It's probably safer insi-" Conan was cut off by Hattori.

"You remember our discussion last night? How I thought there was something bigger at play?"

"You said you were having weird dreams, and you thought you were a constellation," Conan recapped.

"Hey, you don't have to sound so patronizing," Heiji protested. "Listen," he continued," I'm not sure exactly how, but last night, I regained my memory."

"I wasn't aware you had amnesia," Shinichi drawled.

"Dammit, Kudo, just listen to me seriously!" Hattori exploded. "I think the reason you haven't remembered yet is 'cause of that drug that shrunk ya. It probably did somethin' to ya."

"What are you talking about, 'remembered'? Would you mind explaining to me in less cryptic terms exactly what the hell is going on?" Conan's voice was colored with rage and confusion.

"That's what I'm  _trying_  ta do, Kudo," Hattori ground out between gritted teeth. He sighed. "I guess the simplest, most straightforward way would be this. Sit down, Kudo. I'm going to tell you a story."

Scowling at Hattori for treating him like a child, the mini tantei sat down anyways on the grass. Assuming a comfortable pose, Conan waited for the Osakan to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And the plot thickens even more... I'm not sure what color Ai's eyes are, so if I got it wrong, feel free to correct me.


	11. The Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, I've probably already mentioned this, but you really shouldn't be reading this story if you haven't already read all of Fushigi Yuugi, as well as what's been posted for Genbu Kaiden as well. This is just a reminder, as this chapter contains basically spoilers/a summary of the entire series. 
> 
> So yeah. You've been warned.

"During the Taisho Era, there was a translator named Einosuke Okuda. During his travels in China, he found a scroll containing the legend of  _The Universe of the Four Gods_. What he didn't know was that this story was not  _just_  a story." Heiji fended off a comment from Conan with a glare that said loudly and clearly: "Shut. Up."

"The translator's daughter was sucked into the book, assuming the role of the heroine, the Genbu no Miko. She had to gather her seven Celestial Warriors in order to summon Genbu and bring peace to the country Hokkan.

"Through trials and adversities, she managed to summon Genbu, and was granted divine power for three wishes. I know, I know, cliché, okay?" Hattori said before continuing. "Genbu's power could be used, but at a heavy price." He paused a moment. "The priestess who summons the beast-god is essentially, a sacrifice. Eventually, she is devoured.

"During the time she makes her wishes, the priestess is in much pain and suffering. Takiko, the Genbu no Miko, used two wishes before her father killed her to 'save' her." Shinichi could  _hear_  the quotation marks used around the word. Heiji took a breath, then continued.

"Einosuke Okuda left the copy he had of The Universe of the Four Gods to his friend Takao Osugi, whose daughter Suzuro became the Byakku no Miko. She managed to avoid being devoured because she had a strong heart and will.

"OK, now we're at the part that concerns us. That is, the Seiryuu and Suzaku no Mikos. There were these two girls who found this book in a library and were sucked into it like Takiko and Suzuro. After a short time they left the book. One of the girls entered the book later and became the Suzaku no Miko. Her name was Miaka Yuki."

 _Miaka… the girl from my dream,_ Shinichi realized with a start.

Heiji smiled at the reaction he'd gotten from his fellow kokosei-tantei. _Seems he's startin' ta remember at least a little bit._ He continued with the story. "The other girl, Yui, was Miaka's best friend. She was accidentally sucked into the book a second time when trying to rescue Miaka from it. She thought it was Miaka's fault, so she accepted the position of the Seiryuu no Miko and became Miaka's enemy.

"Anyways, so when Miaka fell in love with one of her celestial warriors, Tamahome," Shinichi raised an eyebrow, "Yui decided to take him from Miaka, threatening that Konan would be attacked by Kutou if they didn't hand Tamahome over.

"Tamahome allowed himself to be held hostage while Miaka and the other warriors searched for the remaining Suzaku warriors. However, the Seiryuu warrior Nakago tricked Yui into giving Tamahome a potion that would alter his personality. When Miaka, Chichiri, and Tasuki went to rescue Tamahome, he attacked them, nearly killin' Tasuki." Hattori scowled at Shinichi. "I still carry a grudge fer that, by the way."

"Am I  _supposed_  to know what that means?" Shinichi asked, slightly bewildered.

Hattori scowled. "Never mind," he muttered. "Anyways, Nakago manipulated Tamahome into tryin' to kill the Suzaku warriors. But the emperor of Konan and Suzaku celestial warrior Hotohori wounded him. Then Miaka's love went an' destroyed the rest of the potion!"

"Let us not forget Tamahome's love for Miaka," a new, quiet voice said. The two boys turned in surprise to see Ai standing there.

"Haibara? What are you-" Conan was interrupted as the blonde continued.

"The Suzaku summoning ceremony was ruined because Chiriko was actually Amiboshi, a Seiryuu warrior in disguise. He fell into the river while being pursued by the Suzaku warriors, ruining Kutou's attempts at summoning Seiryuu. There was another way to summon Seiryuu and Suzaku, though, by traveling to Hokkan to find an artifact used by the Genbu no Miko when she summoned Genbu." Her look was far away, as if she was somewhere else.

"I had really hoped it wouldn't come to that, you know," Ai said quietly. "But it seemed at every turn, Miaka was there, ready to oppose me. She kept telling me I was her friend, but everything seemed to point in the opposite direction. And Tamahome…" Ai's gaze landed on Shinichi and she smiled sadly. "You remind me so much of him, Kudo-kun. Both so brash, devoted, attractive… and both out of my reach."

Shinichi and Heiji's eyes widened at the scientist's revelation. "Yui?" Hattori asked quietly.

She nodded. "Hai. And you're Tasuki." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yup. An' we figger Kudo here is Tamahome." Hattori jerked a thumb at the other boy, who scowled.

"You know, I  _am_  right here! And how do you know I'm this Tamahome guy? Where's the proof?"

"Dammit, Kudo, why d'ya gotta be so  _stubborn_?" Heiji glowered.

"Who is 'we'?" inquired Ai.

"Crap, I probably shouldn'ta said that," muttered the Osakan.

"Yeah, what do you mean by 'we', Hattori?" Conan asked. "There are more of you?"

"Of  _us_ ," Heiji corrected.

"Look, I don't remember any of this, and unless you've got some proof or something, I can't believe you, Hattori." Conan crossed his arms.

"You don't remember?" Ai asked, frowning.

"Yeah. I think it was the drug the B.O. gave 'im. Otherwise I woulda thought my story would've triggered somethin'," Heiji explained.

"Again, you don't have to talk as though I'm not here!" Shinichi ground out angrily. They continued to ignore him, however.

"But if the drug affected his memory, how come you remember?"

"I've known since I was about 13 years old."

"Wow! That long? Hmm, I'll have ta ask Mitsukake how long he's known. He's the oldest so far."

"Yes. By the way, Gin is Nakago." Shinichi was paying attention now, having caught the killer's name in the conversation.

"Ya mean the guy who shrunk Kudo is the reincarnation of Nakago?"

A curt nod. "He triggered my memories. He said I reminded him of someone and then he, um… he kissed me."

"WHAT?" Shinichi understood  _that_ , if no other part of the conversation. "Gin  _kissed_  you? W-w-what the hell?"

"Hey, he kissed you, too, Kudo."

"What?"

"When you were Tamahome."

"Oh. So… he's bi, then?"

Hattori shrugged. "I dunno. With him trying to kill us all the time, I never had any time to ask."

"You don't have to sound  _quite_  so sarcastic, Hattori."

"Yeah, well, when you-"

"BOYS!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hee hee, I loved writing the last bit here. And in case anyone can't tell, I really don't like Takiko's dad. I mean, even though I have read Genbu Kaiden, which kinda gives more of his side of the story, I still _really_ don't like him. Also, Uruki is the most BAMF of all BAMFs. For some reason I really like the idea of him and Nuriko exchanging hair care tips... x3;;


	12. No Da!

After fighting, revelations, and much stubbornness on Shinichi's part, Heiji managed to convince the Detective of the East to tell Ran what he'd told the other Suzaku seishi that morning. The news that Gin was Nakago really shook him, though.

 _This is really, really bad,_ the Osakan thought. It made sense that some of the Seiryuu seishi would also have been reincarnated, but that the mastermind behind them had been reborn in such a position as Gin's… _This is really bad._

* * *

 _This is really bad,_  Kaito thought immediately after he said the sentence. _Damn, damn, damn! I've got to get better at controlling my no das, no da!_  He felt like mentally slapping himself. _Just did it again!_

He'd been talking with Aoko - _flirting_ , his treacherous brain filled in- and teasing Hakuba, when he'd done it. The 'no da' just slipped in past his guard, and instantly Hakuba had pounced on it.

"What was that you said, Kuroba? Didn't quite catch it." And that look on his face had been so damn  _predatory_  that for a moment Kaito could see why there were rumors circulating he and the English detective were in a relationship more than friendly. The teen magician had nearly had a nervous breakdown when a classmate who happened to be a yaoi fan girl had asked him a lot of, um,  _questions_  about them.

"Hmm? Why, whatever are you talking about n-Hakuba?" Kaito managed to catch himself just in time. Behind him, Akako chuckled, a low and sultry sound. She enjoyed seeing her little thief struggle like this. The nervousness made him all the more attractive. He was powerful, and the rare moment of vulnerability drew her to him even more.

Aoko watched the exchange in confusion. Why did it matter what Kaito said? Though it  _had_  been rather odd, come to think of it. But honestly, sometimes Hakuba was far too serious. "Oh, ease up!" she scolded the British teen. "I don't get you two, really. You're occasionally like friends, and then other times you're like squabbling children!"

"Oh, ignore them, Aoko-chan," Akako advised the other girl, smirking. "They're merely affirming the other's affections for each other." Hakuba spluttered helplessly, but Kaito grinned.

"Ah, yes, what would I do without my dear, dear Saguru-chaaan?" cooed the messy-haired magician, cupping his rival's chin tenderly. He winked at Aoko out of the corner of his eye, violet twinkling mischievously.

A 'poof' of smoke, and suddenly Hakuba was dressed in a pink tutu, and Kaito was nowhere to be seen. The blond's face turned so red the two girls thought he might explode.

"Kurobaaaaa!" he roared. "I'll get you for this!"

"You may wish to withdraw to a more private setting, my dear kokosei-tantei," Akako drawled. Sure enough, they were drawing some rather strange looks from the other occupants of the coffee shop. "A tutu is hardly threatening dress."

Aoko giggled as she looked at her watch. "Oh, I have to go. Otou-san's going to be home early today, so I need to make dinner. See you tomorrow Hakuba-kun, Akako-chan!" The messy-haired girl departed.

"I should go as well," Hakuba said stiffly. He turned and also left the company of the sorceress. A perfectly poised eyebrow rose a couple of centimeters.

 _Well, I guess I'd better check on my adorable monk,_  she thought. Normally she would transport herself to the KID's favorite spot to think, but there was something to be said for manual transportation. Besides, she too needed to think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ah, I just love torturing Hakuba. It's so fun. There will be a little bit of shounen-ai in this story, but for the most part, I'm sticking to the canon DCMK pairings. Though with reincarnations, this may make for some wacky pairings ^^ And Akako knows something about all this... wonder what.


	13. Monk and Sorceress

Akako brushed the branches out of her face as she made her way through the grove of trees. She came upon a clearing that was near a small stream. On a boulder near the bank sat Kaito, cross-legged, eyes closed as if meditating. "Hello, my magician monk," she smoothly greeted, drawing close to him.

Kaito smiled and without opening his eyes said, "Ditto, majo-san."

"I saw the paper. You caused quite a stir. Or rather, Kaitou KID did," Akako nonchalantly informed him, a small smirk marking her features.

"I'm not going to tell you that I'm not KID, because obviously you won't believe me, no da," Kaito sighed.

Akako smirked. "It  _is_  unlikely, especially since I know the truth." Her expression turned more serious. "I received a warning from Lucifer last night."

Kaito opened his eyes. "You did?"

She nodded. " _The dragon and crows intertwine, casting their sight for the blood red jewel. Unless the phoenix rises from the ashes once more, the tiger and turtle will fall into darkness_."

Kaito's expression hardened at the mention of the jewel. "Pandora," he hissed. "The dragon and crows must be Seiryuu and Them, while the phoenix, tiger, and turtle are the other three gods, no da."

"There is something drawing on the horizon, something big," Akako murmured, her eyes half closed.

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Prophesying?"

Akako opened her eyes all the way. A half-smile spread across her face. "Maybe." She paused. "Can I assume that the attempt to restore Tasuki's memory was successful?"

"Barring the fact that I'm  _not_  Kaitou KID, yes, I was successful. I'd think that now he's attempting to jog Tamahome's memory, no da."

Akako raised an eyebrow. "You've located Tamahome?"

Kaito nodded. "The little kid who follows KID's heists, Conan Edogawa." A smirk stretched his lips. "Also known as Kudo Shinichi."

Akako's eyes widened fractionally. "Oh, really?" she wondered. "Interesting."

"So who do we have?" Kaito asked, moving over as the sorceress sat next to him on the rock.

"Well, we know the identities of Tasuki, Tamahome, Nuriko, Mitsukake, Chiriko, and Nuriko, and the locations of Nakago, Ashitare, and Soi," Akako listed.

"Don't forget Amiboshi," Kaito added softly.

"Yes," Akako said. A moment of silence followed. "Well, I must be departing now." Akako rose and headed out of the clearing. "I'll see you later, my magician monk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So who is Amiboshi? Hmm, we wonders, precious... *evil cackle* Sorry, been watching too much LOTR lately. 'Majou-san' means 'Miss Witch', but I did use Eudict.com for the translation, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.


	14. Irrational Fears

Ran and Sonoko were walking home from school, discussing Shinichi's call to Ran over the weekend. "Finally, that mystery geek takes some interest in things that actually matter!" the blonde huffed.

"Yeah, finally," Ran agreed, laughing nervously.

Her conversation with Shinichi had been rather frightening, actually. The reason he had… lain low, as he called it (disappeared, her mind whispered) was because he was hiding. Of course she'd yelled at him. Who in their right mind wouldn't, after all the worry he'd put her through? But those worries had been well-founded, part of her brain reminded her.

A not-quite-shriek from Sonoko startled her out of her thoughts. Her friend quickly took refuge behind Ran. The brunette looked to see what the problem was.

There was a large dog blocking their path, growling at the girls. The left half of his face had a scar running down it, and the ear on that side was torn and tattered. "Go on, shoo! Shoo!" Ran scolded, swinging her book bag at the animal in an effort to drive it away. Sufficiently cowed, it slunk away.

A sigh of relief escaped Sonoko. "I absolutely hate dogs," she complained.

"Why did you get so scared, anyways?" Ran wondered. "I mean, I know you don't like them that much, but I've never seen you like that." The blonde paused a moment, trying to think up an answer that wouldn't make her best friend think she was crazy or something.

"Werewolves," she said after a moment. "I ran into one when I was little." She nodded seriously at Ran. Then a huge grin spread across her face. "Just kidding! Actually, I saw an old horror movie about werewolves the other night."

"Honestly, Sonoko, you get into the strangest things!" Ran teased her friend. The two laughed together, each reminiscing each other's mishaps.

 _Oh, Miaka-Ran-chan, I wish you remembered so that I wouldn't have to keep secrets like this! I mean, we're best friends; have been since grade school, as well as before. You, me, and Shinichi; just like in our previous lives!_  The willow seishi sighed wistfully, then caught what Ran was saying.

"You know, I had another weird dream again last night," Ran said as they walked down the sidewalk.

"Really?" Sonoko asked eagerly. "What was it about?"

"Well, I was trapped under this pile of rubble, and Shinichi was holding it back with his body, shielding me. He told me he was going to protect me." A blush and nostalgic look came across the brunette's face for a moment before Sonoko cleared her throat meaningfully. "Oh! And then, you came along, and started to pick up the rubble and throw it out of the way!"

"Wow! So I'm a superhero in your dreams, huh?" Sonoko teased, her voice infused with enthusiasm.

"Something like that," Ran laughed sheepishly.

"You know, you should write them down; I bet they would make for some pretty interesting stories!" Sonoko suggested. _Maybe if she's exposed to her dream-memories enough, she'll start to remember for real. Wait a minute. Doesn't Mitsukake have a copy of_ The Universe of the Four Gods _?_

As the light at the intersection they were waiting at turned green and the girls started to cross the street, Sonoko stiffened. She felt something coming. Something really bad. The sound of a horn honking on the nearly empty street made her turn. "Ran!" Sonoko screamed as the car hurtled straight toward her friend.

Closing the small distance between them, she threw herself between Ran and the car, pushing her friend out of the way, her hand coming up instinctively to shield herself from the two ton metal structure. A sudden burst of power flowed through her as she felt metal crumple beneath her hand.

Ran looked up in amazement from where she'd fallen to the ground when Sonoko had pushed her. The other girl was holding back the car with one hand, the fender crumpled and bent from where some incredible force had pushed in. A small red spot glowed through her shirt, right above her heart.

"Sonoko," Ran whispered disbelievingly.

"Hey," Sonoko replied somewhat cockily. "I worry about you and then suddenly find myself here. Can't you do anything without me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ah ha ha, don't you just love quotes? x3 Volume 13 gave me so many fricking _feeeellllssssss_ *sobs into pillow* Not as many as Sherlock, but still, so manyyyyyy...


	15. Secrets and Memories

Ran sat on the couch in Takagi's apartment. Sonoko had whisked her away to the police officer's home before the driver of the car regained consciousness. The street had been pretty much empty at the time, so they were able to get away without any unwanted questions. As for the fender, Sonoko had quickly bent it back into its relative shape.

To say that the karateka was finding this mind-boggling would be putting it lightly. Sonoko had stopped the car  _with her bare hands_. Not even; she had held it back with only one hand. _It was just like before; Nuriko stopped that street light from crushing me, Tasuki, and Chichiri._

Wait, what? Where had  _that_  come from? All of this on  _top_ of Shinichi telling her he was actually in hiding (which she'd yelled at him for for over half an hour) was tiring Ran's mind.

Just then, the kitchen door opened, and Sonoko came back in, accompanied by Takagi-keiji and - "Hattori-kun?" Ran questioned.

"Yo, neechan," the Osakan greeted her cheerfully. "The okama here gave ya quite a scare, ne?"

"Baka!" Sonoko glowered, hitting him on the head. "I'm a woman in this life!"

"Uh, what's going on?" Ran asked, confused by the conversation going on in front of her.

Takagi sighed. "Nuriko, Tasuki, you're just confusing her further."

"Well, I don't see  _you_ attempting to rectify the situation, Mitsukake," Sonoko retorted.

"I  _am_ ," the police officer insisted. "Tasuki, where's my copy of  _The Universe of the Four Gods_ you were reading earlier?"

"Um, lemme see. I put it…" the two males went to go search for the book.

"Men," Sonoko scoffed. "Well, I guess I'll explain as best I can," she decided cheerfully, sitting on the couch next to Ran. "Okay, Ran, no questions while I'm talking; wait till afterward, okay?"

"Okay," the brunette agreed.

"No matter how fantastical it seems, no matter how out of this world-"

"Sonoko, just get to the point," Ran deadpanned.

"Okay, okay." The blonde took a breath. "You are the reincarnation of the Suzaku no Miko, Miaka Yuki. I am one of the Celestial Warriors sworn to protect you, Nuriko. I'm the willow seishi, and my power is, well, super strength." She grinned. "You've seen that for yourself."

Something niggled in Ran's mind; a memory. "Didn't you hair used to be… longer?" she hesitantly asked. "In a braid. You… cut it off." Sonoko squealed, hugging Ran close.

"Yes, yes, yes! Oh, you at least remember  _some_  things, and if your dreams are any indication, you're starting to remember others! See, right now you have little to no memory of your past life, but Mitsukake thinks we can skip the tiresome waiting for them to come back on their own if we use  _The Universe of the Four Gods_."

"Mitsu… kake?"

"Oh! Duh, Nuriko, Miaka-Ran-chan doesn't remember! That's Takagi-keiji. We  _are_  in his apartment, after all." The willow seishi seemed to be very proud of something; Ran wasn't sure what.

"Hey, we found it!" Hattori emerged from the other room, waving the book around. "Hey, nee-chan," he grinned, canines looking slightly… sharper than when Ran had last seen him.

"Um, Hattori-kun…" she trailed off, not quite sure how to put it without sounding rude. Luckily, or unluckily, he seemed to notice.

"Oh, these?" Hattori asked, running a finger over one of his 'fangs.' "Yeah, they went like this after I regained my memory," he recounted. "I'm Tasuki, the wing seishi, and I wish I had my harisen, or somethin' like it, 'cause then I could show ya what  _I_  do." In an undertone, he added, "Or at least flame Kudo." No one heard him, though.

"Tasuki was in Kaitou KID's note!" Ran exclaimed. "Does that mean he's also a Suzaku seishi?"

"I guess bein' around Kudo so much rubs off on ya," Hattori chuckled. "Ko-Kazuha's kinda like that too, ya know." He backed up a little as he saw Ran's fists clench. _Uh-oh. Did Kudo tell her I knew where he was?_  It wasn't just the fact that Ran was his reincarnated miko that he treated her with respect. The girl knew karate, and the Osakan had seen her skills first-hand.

"Hattori-kun," Ran said simply, her head bowed.

 _Uh-oh, not good. Low, angry voice ringing alarm bells and telling me to run away as fast as I possibly can._  She continued.

"Shinichi said that you had helped him, as a fellow kokosei-tantei… did he mean you and the other seishi, or just you?" His silence and the fact he was looking anywhere  _but_  her was enough answer.

"You seem to be taking this rather well," Takagi observed, quiet until now.

"It's like… before," Ran said slowly. "When I lost my memory before, I was really scared. I knew that there was something important I needed to know, though. Not just who had shot Sato-keiji, but who I was. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be this Ran Mouri everyone said I was. I don't really know who this Miaka Yuki is or was, but I'm willing to try this," Ran declared in a firm tone.

"Oh, Miaka-Ran-chan!" Sonoko cried, hugging the brunette tight again.

"Ah! Sonoko… can't… breathe…  _Air_!" Ran gasped. The others sweat dropped. Some things just never changed. With a kind smile, Wataru took the book from Hattori and handed it to Ran. Steeling herself for whatever might happen, Ran opened the book.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ha ha cliffhangers. Even back in the day I indulged in them x3 Also, Ran losing her memory before is a reference to Movie 4, which is totally awesome! Although for some reason in the English dub, they changed Sato's name to Miwako Simone, while everybody else's names are horribly Americanized. I really don't get it.


	16. Restorative Meeting

"It's blank," Ran said, staring at the open book. Everyone quickly gathered around the book, but still nothing happened as they stared at it.

"Okay, this was a big fat waste a' time," Hattori growled in annoyance.

"Yeah," Sonoko agreed. "I mean honestly-AAAAAAHHH!" she screamed, pointing at Taiitsukun, who'd suddenly appeared in the room, before falling over with the others.

"Hey! I'm not that ugly!" the Emperor of the Heavens scowled, whacking Sonoko on the head.

"Itai! What'd you do that for?" huffed the blonde.

"At least Hotohori isn't here," Heiji muttered.

"Um, who are you?" asked Ran, seeming to be the least affected by Taiitsukun's appearance.

"Ya mean she doesn't even remember after that?" Hattori exclaimed. "Man, you an' Kudo are jus' the same; stubborn stubborn stubborn!"

"It's all right. I've come to restore you memories, Miaka," the old lady smiled at her rather fondly. Holding her hand over Ran's forehead, she started an ancient chant. A red glow emanated from her hand, transfixing the girl. The seven symbols of the Suzaku seishi glowed briefly on her body, then faded away.

"Miaka-Ran-chan!" Sonoko, the closest, caught her friend as she pitched forward.

Ran looked up, blinking as if she'd been exposed to a bright light. "Nuriko?" she questioned softly.

The strong seishi grinned happily. "Welcome back, Miaka." She hugged her friend tightly, happy tears threatening to fall.

* * *

"So KID  _is_  a Suzaku seishi?" Ran questioned.

"Yup, Chichiri," Heiji confirmed. "An' the next time I see 'im, I swear, I'm gonna kick his ass all the way ta Hokkan!" The others sweat dropped at his brash statement, though the familiarity of his attitude was comforting.

"Thank you, Taiitsukun," the Suzaku no Miko turned to the old lady, bowing.

Takagi and Sonoko echoed her movements, while Hattori merely said: "So long as yer handin' out favors, can I have my harisen?" He received several bops on the head for that.

"If your impertinence has been quenched," Taiitsukun scowled at Heiji, "I must tell you what you need to do. In your previous life you gathered the Suzaku warriors to protect Konan, correct?" Ran nodded. "Your memories and the memories of your warriors have not been suppressed during this lifetime because you must again gather them to summon Suzaku."

"Why, Taiitsukun?" Takagi inquired.

"I am sorry, but I cannot tell you," answered the Emperor of the Heavens in a saddened tone. "Only this: You will receive help from some very unexpected people. Be cautious, but not so much that you turn down all offers of help."

"Taiitsukun?" Ran asked timidly. "Um, do you think you can tell me where Shinichi is?"

"I'm sorry, but you must find your warriors on your own," Taiitsukun told her.

At Ran's surprised expression, Heiji mumbled, "I was gettin' to tellin' ya that."

"Shinichi is Tamahome," Ran breathed, her face lighting up as she thought of her soul mate.

"Tamahome!" Sonoko squealed.

"Miaka!" Hattori intoned.

"Tamahome!"

"Miaka!"

"Tamahome!"

"Miaka!"

"Tama-" Then Ran sent them flying with karate.

"Yup, definitely more dangerous than Miaka," Hattori confirmed.

"Tasuki, are you an idiot?" Sonoko asked.

Takagi sighed at the teens' antics, hands covering his face, murmuring what they supposed to be words of comfort to himself.

"Honestly, sometimes I have strong doubts about you people," Taiitsukun muttered frankly, shaking her head as she looked on at the scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So Ran has her memories back. Hee hee. And what unexpected people was Taiitsukun talking about? Bwa ha ha, we shall see... *silently plotting*


	17. If Shinichi Is Conan, Then Conan Is Tamahome

Ran came home in a bit of a daze from the events at Takagi's apartment. Conan was sleeping on the couch, a book clutched loosely in his hands. Upon a closer look, she saw it was  _The Hounds of the Baskervilles_ , a Sherlock Holmes novel. Ran smiled fondly at the young boy. Conan was such a Holmes otaku, just like Shinichi.

 _Just like Shinichi,_ Ran thought. She frowned. Was it really so ludicrous an idea for a person to be able to shrink ten years? After what she'd seen today, it didn't seem too far-fetched. But if Conan really was Shinichi, how could she know?

 _Shinichi is Tamahome._  The thought rang through her mind, leading to another one. _If Shinichi is Tamahome, and if Conan is Shinichi, then Conan is Tamahome!_  Ran grinned calculatingly, the expression out-of-place on her normally pleasant features.

Digging through her purse, she found what she was looking for. Going up behind the couch, she dropped the coins on the hardwood floor. They landed with what seemed to be a deafening crash in the otherwise silent room.

"Mmm," Conan murmured in his sleep. "That'll be three silver mon, please…" He turned, the book falling from his grasp to land on the floor. The chibi tantei sat straight up. "Ah!" he cried, picking the book up. "You're not hurt, are you?" he murmured, giving the book a once-over.

Ran sweat-dropped. Conan was even worse than Shinichi when it came to Holmes! _He's treating the book almost like it's alive!_ she thought. _He_ did _notice me dropping the coins on the floor in his sleep, though…_ Then the object of her suspicions noticed her there.

"Ah, Ran-neechan! Did you just get home?" Conan asked, brushing some hair out of his face. Even with his glasses on, he looked so much like Shinichi it made her heart clench.

"Yes, I did," she told her 'younger brother.' "Conan-kun, have you seen otou-san? I don't seen him anywhere."

"No I haven't, Ran-neechan," Conan replied.

"He hasn't called, either?" Ran asked.

Conan shook his head, frowning. "That's very unlike ojii-san," the young boy commented.

"I'm going to call him and see where he is, and if he'll be back in time for dinner." Ran dialed Kogoro's cell phone number.

"Mouri Kogoro," her father answered.

"Otou-san, where are you?" asked Ran anxiously.

"I'm down at the police station with Megure-keibu," he informed her. "He requested my advice on a case that just popped up."

Ran let go an inward sigh of relief. "Well, are you at least going to be home for dinner?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure. I'll call back later." With that, he hung up.

Ran stared at the phone disbelievingly. Her father was never this abrupt, even when he was drunk. Was something wrong? Was there more to this case than he was letting on?

"Ran-neechan?" she looked down to find Conan's concerned gaze focused on her, full of worry.

She forced a smile. "Oh, everything's all right, Conan-kun. "I'm just a bit concerned. Otou-san hasn't been home for dinner lately, and it's a little worrying."

Conan nodded, giving her a smile. "Don't worry, Ran-neechan. I'm sure ojii-san will be home soon!" In an unexpected move of affection, he gave her a quick, tight hug. Then, as if embarrassed, he quickly ran to his room. However, not before Ran caught the red glow of his face as he blushed furiously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hmm, wonder what case Ran's dad is on... *grins evilly* And, awww, little bit of fluff at the end! I don't really do fluff often, you know. For the title of this chapter I give credit to Mel, a.k.a FiraKam, who is the best sister ever! Thank you for the chocolates!


	18. Dreamscape

_She dreamed._

Darkness. It was dark in the forest. Where had the light gone? Nuriko had just been here a moment ago, right beside her. She stumbled, and her hair ribbon tumbled to the ground. No! That was her only tie to Keisuke, to her world!

* * *

_He dreamed._

They had heard voices, so they'd come to investigate. He something white gleaming in the darkness of the forest, and he approached. "Who are you?" he asked, right as a female voice cried, "Wh-what was that for?"

* * *

_Their dreams collided._

The light hit both their faces at the same time. Miaka stood, clutching her ribbon. "That voice…" she trailed off. This wasn't a dream. This was Tamahome.

"Miaka?" he asked. His expression softened. "Has it only been three months? I swear, it feels like a thousand years."

"Tamahome!" she cried as he swept her into a hug. His warmth, his smell, his presence… it was all here, all real.

 _I love you,_ two souls chorused in unison. _I'll never let you go._ If one listened, as their heartbeats beat in unison together the cry of a phoenix could be heard.

* * *

Beneath the surface, in a dark room, a sorceress smirked. _Well, well, this game was becoming quite interesting,_ she thought.  _Time for a new player to enter the scene, though._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ahahahaha I wrote fluff x3;;


	19. Seductive Beauty

It was a normal day for Division One. Sato attracted all the attention from the male officers while somehow staying oblivious, and those that weren't paying attention to her were glaring at Takagi, as if he were purposefully hogging the beautiful officer. Which he wasn't. Not intentionally, anyways.

Well, okay, they were dating, but covertly. If the guys ever found that out, he'd be dead for sure. It was a wonder he wasn't yet, with all the murderous glares directed his way. Especially after the last case they'd been on together, pursuing the suspect of a hit-and-run. The man had surprised Takagi and Sato, then locked them in a room tied up together. Takagi had had to fake sick the next couple of days just to escape all the flak he was getting.

So it was a surprise when he'd come in after his lunch break and all his fellow male officers were ignoring him. _Okay, something is_ definitely _up here._  He approached Chiba. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked his friend. Wordlessly, Chiba pointed.

Takagi's jaw just about dropped. There, talking with Sato by the coffee machine, was just about the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. She moved with an almost unnatural grace. Her long, flowing hair was red, an odd color, but it made her look even more exotic, a great feat considering she was wearing a school uniform.

 _No, bad Wataru! You- like- Sato-san! She's Shoka's reincarnation! Besides, that girl is a high school student! Or have you gone blind?_  he asked himself. Nope, he was still seeing things clearly. Well, as clearly as one  _could_  see with such a beauty in front of him.

Suddenly, her dark gaze landed on him. "Takagi Wataru-san?" she questioned. Her voice was like a many-layered piece of music, almost hypnotic.

"Hai?" he ventured, noting the small frown that passed Sato's face.

"May I speak with you?" the girl asked.

Immediately, all males from the division were glaring at him. Again. It wasn't bad enough that Takagi had Sato-san as a partner, but now this beautiful girl, too! Although, really, she just wanted to talk to him… But try telling  _that_  to middle-aged men and their hormones.

"Um, s-sure," Takagi stammered. "Right this way." She smiled at him. "Oh, uh, I didn't catch your name," he said as they walked down the hallway to his office.

"Most call me Akako," the red-haired beauty stated as he closed the door behind them. "But you, Mitsukake of the Suzaku seishi, may call me Miboshi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Aaaand more cliffies. Believe me, you'll hate me after 20 or so more of these.


	20. Meeting of Minds

Takagi turned so fast it almost gave him whiplash. "Miboshi?" he questioned in a hard voice. Normally he was of a pacifistic nature, but being face with the same…  _creature_  that had forced Chiriko's hand in suicide… Well, let's just say Mr. Peace and Love went bye-bye and out the window.

Seeing the dangerous look in his eye, Akako raised her hands as a sign of peace. "I'm not here to harm you. I come here as… a friend, or at least an ally."

Taiitsukun's words echoed in his mind. _'You will receive help from some very unexpected people. Be cautious, but not so that you turn down all offers of help.'_ Was this what she had been talking about?

"Why are you here?" Takagi asked coldly.

"I've come as Chichiri's representative," Akako stated, sitting on the edge of his desk and crossing her legs. Her graceful (and beautiful) appearance was so much different than the small old man he'd known before. "The monk thought it would be prudent not to come as himself. Of course, appearing as KID would prove troublesome as well. I owe him a favor or two, so he manipulated me into this." However, her tone was fond and her smile soft.

"The monk and I have been working together to pinpoint the locations and identities of the Celestial Warriors, both Seiryuu and Suzaku. So far we've found all of the Suzaku seishi except for Hotohori; and of the Seiryuu seishi we've located Nakago, Soi, Ashitare, myself, and Amiboshi."

"That's a lot of work," Takagi admitted. "But if you've located Amiboshi, then shouldn't you know the location of Suboshi?"

"Amiboshi is dead," Akako said softly. "He was killed by the same organization that is currently pursuing Kudo-kun."

"How do you know about that?" Takagi fought to keep his voice controlled.

Akako smiled slyly. "My dear healer, I am a sorceress, and the dear monk is a pupil of Taiitsukun, Emperor of the Heavens. Do not underestimate us."

"Why did you decide to come to us? To me?" asked Takagi, eyeing the sorceress suspiciously.

"You are the oldest out of the Suzaku seishi so far, therefore the easiest to get a hold of," Akako shrugged. She stood to leave. "A word of advice: Tamahome may be nearer than you think. Hiding in plain sight, even." Takagi nodded in acknowledgement. Then a thought came to him.

"How about a truce?" Akako raised an eyebrow as he continued. "We won't pursue KID when he's with us as Chichiri. Besides, we're going to have to meet sooner or later."

"An interesting idea," Akako mused. "I shall talk to my dear monk about it." She handed him a sheet of paper. "You can reach me at this number. It's for my cell phone." Takagi quickly pocketed it. No sense in the guys killing him through mistaken assumptions.

"Miboshi," he said as Akako opened the door. "I still don't forgive you altogether. However, I might be able to trust you. For now."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, my dear healer," Akako replied, smirking. The males of Division One watched her go, practically drooling. Takagi sweat dropped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Betcha weren't expecting that, huh? (I hope I was being cryptic enough) So, any guesses as to who Amiboshi is?


	21. Moonlight Serenade

Kaito stood on a high rooftop, his trademark white KID costumed cape fluttering in the wind. The moon glowed a bright white, looking like a giant gem in the night sky. The object clutched in his fist glinted in the moonlight.

True, in the past they had been… well, not enemies, per say, but on opposite sides. That was the past, thought. In this life, he was just Kaito Kuroba, high school magician. On a further note, he was the second Kaitou KID, international phantom thief.

Amiboshi was just Toichi Kuroba, world famous magician and the first Kaitou KID, killed by the Black Organization. Just because of a jewel that would supposedly grant immortality.

A single tear ran down the teen's face, from his right eye hidden behind the monocle. He didn't bother to wipe it away, instead raising the flute he held to his lips.

As the first notes sounded on the night air, he wondered what anyone else would make of this. And call him crazy, but on more than one occasion, he thought he heard a flute playing during his heists.

Looking up to the moon, the monk, magician, and son continued to play; a serenade for a fallen comrade, and dear father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is based on a picture I found somewhere of Kaito sitting on a rooftop, silhouetted by moonlight. I'm so evil to poor Kaito TT_TT And if Amiboshi's identity isn't clear after this, I'm going to be severely disappointed in the average DCMK fan's deductive abilities.


	22. Premeditation

The five seishi and their miko all decided to meet at Takagi's apartment. It was the only place where they would probably not be disturbed.

Ran was just about to head out (supposedly to Sonoko's for a school project) when the doorbell rang. She opened the door to find a teen who could've been Shinichi's twin standing there, expect he had messier hair.

"Excuse me, but is Miaka Yuki here?" the boy asked, his blue-purple eyes twinkling.

"Well, it depends," Ran answered carefully. "Who are you?"

"Oh, no one in particular, no da," the teen replied enigmatically.

Memories flashed through Ran's mind, providing the identity of her visitor. "Chichiri," she grinned. Then she remembered. "C'mon, we gotta go!" the karateka pushed him out the door, shouted good-bye', then shut the door behind her.

"W-wait, what-where are we going? What are we doing?" Chichiri asked, confused, as Ran pulled him along.

"Well, you're Kaitou KID, aren't you? Conan-kun would probably pelt you with a soccer ball the moment he saw you!"

Ah, true. "Oh, yes, tantei-kun lives with you, doesn't he?" the monk mused. "Back to my original question: Where are we going?"

"Mitsukake's apartment." She smiled at him, eyebrow raised. "I thought you knew everything, oh wise pupil of Taiitsukun," Ran teased.

"Hey! All Akako told me was that we were going to have a meeting, no da," Chichiri protested, offended.

"Akako?"

"Miboshi. Sorry, I get names mixed up sometimes, no da." He grinned, full of mischief and playfulness. "Well, c'mon, we gotta hurry if we're going to get there in time!" The two began to run.

* * *

Sonoko sighed, looking at her watch yet again. "When is Ran going to get here?" she exclaimed, glaring at the innocent piece of machinery. "Grrr! She should've been here half an hour ago!" Steam seemed to vent from her ears.

"Aw, hush yer mouth, Nuriko," Heiji drawled. He was getting annoyed with the willow seishi's fretting. "I'm sure nee-chan's fine; after all, she put up with Ghost Boy fer forever."

At the Mouri Detective Agency, Shinichi sneezed. _I have this sudden urge to kill Hattori,_ he thought.

Meanwhile, Takagi was in the small kitchenette with Mitsuhiko, teaching him how to make the officer's homemade spaghetti. His knowledge of herbs garnered from his previous life enhanced the pasta sauce, making it nearly gourmet.

"Mmm, that smells divine," Akako commented, popping up between the two of them suddenly. Takagi's eyes narrowed, and he found himself protectively hovering over Mitsuhiko.

"Peace," Akako held up a hand. "I bear no ill will towards Suzaku's Seven anymore. Whether you believe me or not is up to you-" she stared pointedly at Takagi, "but I have been through several lives since my time as Miboshi, and I offer you my sincerest apologies." She bowed towards Mitsuhiko, then held out her hand to him. "Truce?"

With a gentle smile, Mitsuhiko nodded, shaking the sorceress's hand. This didn't stop Takagi's eagle eye from watching the two, however.

Just then, the door flung open, revealing Ran and a boy who looked like Shinichi. "We're here!" Ran cried.

"Hello, my dear magician monk," Akako purred, sashaying up to him.

"Lay off, Akako, no da," the teen frowned. "We're supposed to be having a meeting here, right, no da?"

"You are absolutely no fun," the redhead pouted. "You could at least try to play along with my attempts at seducing you, couldn't you?" Everyone else sweat dropped at her forwardness towards Chichiri.

Their banter continued for a while, until finally, Hattori put his fingers in his mouth and whistled shrilly for quiet. Ignoring the varying sounds of distress, the Osakan grinned. "Okay, thank you. Now, I believe Mitsukake has something to say."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yes, yes, I just had to put Ghost Boy in there, didn't I? *snicker snicker*


	23. Conspiring Allies

"Okay, Mitsukake, ya got the stage," Hattori grinned. Sonoko rolled her eyes at him.

"Thank you, Tasuki," Takagi said. "Now, as I said when I called everyone, Miboshi," he gestured towards Akako, "came to see me yesterday on behalf of Chichiri."

"I didn't think it was safe to show any of my faces at the station," KID piped up. "For all I knew, you'd clap me in cuffs soon as I so much as said anything, no da."

"Anyways," Takagi continued. "They've offered us… an alliance."

"I can help find the locations of other warriors," the red-headed sorceress informed them. "And I have been doing that; with the assistance of my adorable monk here." Akako frowned. "And there is something else going on." Everyone's attention was riveted on the Seiryuu warrior. "The other night, I received a prophecy from Lucifer."

'Lucifer?' Sonoko mouthed at Hattori and KID. The latter shook his head and mouthed back, 'Don't ask.'

"What kind of prophecy?" Ran asked. Akako told her what she'd told Kaito just a few days earlier.

Hattori sat bolt upright. "Crows ya say?" he asked, eyes narrowed. Akako nodded.

"I believe you have some experience with them, don't you, tantei-han," KID stated. The Osakan gave a curt nod.

"The crows? You mean the organization that forced Shinichi into hiding?" Ran inquired worriedly.

"Crows and dragon must mean the Seiryuu seishi and the Organization," Mitsuhiko reasoned. "The phoenix would be Suzaku, and then the tiger and turtle would be Genbu and Byakku. If this prophecy comes true, we must be vigilant against any attacks," he counseled, his childish tone grave.

"Yup! Don't you worry about one thing, Miaka-Ran-chan," Sonoko chattered, throwing an arm against Ran's shoulders. "I'll protect you in that mystery geek's place!"

Ran giggled. "That's nice, Nuriko, but unless you've forgotten, I do know karate."

"How can we forget?" Hattori muttered, scowling. "Damn near kicked me an' the okama 'ere through a wall."

"Hey, I told you to stop calling me that!" Sonoko glared.

"Sorry, Nuriko; old habits die hard," Heiji apologized.

"That's not the only thing we need to be worrying about, no da," KID said seriously. The others turned to him.

"What do you mean?" Ran asked.

"Why don't you tell them?" the thief said to Takagi.

"Why am I not surprised you know that?" the officer muttered. Chichiri grinned enigmatically.

"Know what? You been keeping' secrets from us, Mits?" Hattori asked. Well, more like growled.

"You're one to talk," Sonoko grumbled.

"You guys! Stop fighting and just listen to what Mitsukake has to tell us!" Ran tried to get the two off each other.

"And if he is keeping something secret, I'm sure he has a very good reason," Mitsuhiko declared. "Go on, Mitsukake. What is it?"

"It's a police matter, so I would appreciate none of you mentioning this to anyone else. Really, if any of my superiors found out I told you this, I could probably get fired. Leaking police information is very much frowned upon," Takagi informed them, grinning wryly. "I'm sure you've all heard of the murder in the park a few days ago?"

"We were at the park that day!" Mitsuhiko exclaimed. "We- the Shonen Tantei- found the body. Well, we heard this lady scream, and then we found the body." The slightly sick look on his face faded, replaced by a fond smile. "That was the day I recognized you as Mitsukake," the freckled boy said to Takagi, who smiled.

"Yes. There was an engraving of Seiryuu on the sword that was used as the murder weapon," Takagi informed the others. Even KID and Akako looked surprised. "We were discussing the possibility it was a gang symbol." The officer chuckled humorlessly. "It's a gang, all right, but not an ordinary one. Since then, there have been four more murders."

"How come none of this has been made public knowledge?" Hattori inquired.

"They can't find anything to link the murders together; besides the fact that every single one found has a small, red character tattoo somewhere on their body." The silence in the room was nearly deafening as this information sunk in.

"The situation is more dire than I believed," Akako murmured. "I shall have to consult Lucifer later on what actions we should take." No one else really took note of her comment, still stunned.

"You mean," Sonoko said, hands clenching her skirt, "that maybe a Seiryuu warrior has been killing people because of us? Maybe thinking they  _were_  us?" The grief in her voice was so out of place, as if something had torn a hole in her heart.

"Sonoko…" Ran placed a hand on her friend's shoulder softly.

"Tasuki!" Sonoko snapped. She turned to the wing seishi, eyes blazing. "You have to get Shinichi-Tamahome- Miaka-Ran-chan's husband to come back! We could use his brain, no matter how idiotic he is at times! We can't just let people  _die_  because of us!"

Her impassioned plea tore at Heiji. Kudo didn't even believe he was Tamahome; how was he supposed to get his fellow kokosei-tantei to help find the culprit behind this if he didn't even believe who he was?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, I finally got back to the murder from chapter 2! And it seems to play a big part in upcoming events...


	24. Phone Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hoki means 'beautiful phoenix.'
> 
> Warning: Spoilers for Detective Conan if you haven't read the Eisuke Hondou arc(s).

"Oneechan, I'm so glad to hear from you!" exclaimed Eisuke Hondou.

"It's taken awhile, but they finally trust me enough to stop monitoring my phone conversations," his sister, Hidemi, a.k.a. Rena Minatsuki, replied. The CIA agent was working undercover in the Black Organization, code name Kir.

"I'm nearly done with my preliminary training, oneechan. I'll be returning to Japan soon on a vacation," the teen chattered excitedly. Hidemi smiled. She could nearly see the expression on her younger brother's face, transmitted through his voice.

"Be careful, Ei-chan," she warned, fear for her brother creeping in her voice. "The enemy could be anywhere."

"Don't worry oneechan. After all, I have you, my Hoki, to watch over and protect me, ne?" His tone turned sincere and loving. "May Suzaku bless and watch over you, oneechan," Eisuke told her.

"And may he bless you as well, otouto," Hidemi replied. She was well aware of the danger she was in; not just having infiltrated it, but of the secret one of its members held.

"Hopefully we'll see each other soon, oneechan," Eisuke said, though he knew that day was most likely a long ways off.

"Hopefully," his sister echoed. "I will try to contact you again, but don't try to call me, okay?"

"Hai, oneechan," Eisuke agreed. "Sayonara."

"Sayonara, Ei-chan."

The teen hung up, the bubbly and happy façade that he had worn fading. It may have been described as bipolar, the way he could go from clumsy and hopeless to wearing an air of regal dignity about him, but it was just a mask. _Like Kudo and his child act._  Thinking of the shrunken tantei in turn made him think of Ran, and he smiled.

 _Maybe Kudo's given up on her. After all, he_ is _the size of a grade-schooler._ He highly doubted it, though. If anything could be said about his comrade, it was that he was stubborn. Although, if Eisuke did have to give up on Ran, he would do with as much dignity as he could muster, befitting an emperor. Well, former one, anyways.

Pulling out his wallet, Eisuke peered at the only clue he had to go on regarding his personal mission and real reason for returning to Japan. A sketch of a photo of eight people on a ship. He knew three of them in this life, and a fourth was so close he could feel it on the tip of his tongue. He would have help, though. His sister, his Hoki, would know what to do when he next told her about this. He just knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And now we know all the Suzaku seishi! Now we just have 24 other people to keep track of... -_-;;


	25. Memory Spell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Spoilers for Volumes 14-18 of Fushigi Yuugi (the manga).

"Okay Kudo, come with me." Hattori picked up the shrimp by his suspenders. He waved to Ran as he passed her, ignoring Kudo's squawk of indignation.

"Hattori, what the hell do you think you're doing?" the shrunken teen fumed.

"I'm kidnappin' ya, Kudo, what's it look like I'm doin'?" the Osakan replied cheerfully.

Setting him down on his motorbike, Heiji then handed Conon his spare helmet. "If you're 'kidnapping' me, could you at least tell me where we're going?" Shinichi asked sarcastically.

"A pre-determined location at which we'll meet with Chichiri and hopefully he can help ya get yer memory restored," Hattori replied in all seriousness. Shinichi decided to humor the Osakan's ravings for the time being.

* * *

Kaito was standing on one foot, trying to allieve his boredom. It was taking all of his willpower not to juggle, or turn someone's hair pink, or do  _something_  to stir this place up. His hands itched to spread mischief, but he had to resist. _Kami, I hope tantei-han and tantei-kun get here soon, no da, or I am going to go crazy! Why did we agree to meet in a_ Starbucks _for Suzaku's sake?_

The door opened, and Kaito looked up as the bell tinkled. Hattori was standing there, his grin bright against his dark face. In contrast, tantei-kun was scowling and glaring at the Osakan in ways that promised death, disaster, and destruction. Not necessarily in that order, either. Kaito hid a grin behind his hand, then gave a little wave to the two detectives.

"Hey, 'Chiri, how ya doin'?"

"Eh, could be better, no da," Kaito told him.

Tantei-kun started. "You-it-why-KID!" he finally managed to choke out, face turning an interesting shade of red.

"The one and only at the moment, tantei-kun," he replied, placing his hand over his heart and giving a little bow. The well seishi turned to Hattori. "I've got a place where we can try this out. Miboshi's there at the moment." Hattori nodded in agreement.

"I'm not even going to  _pretend_  to understand what you two are babbling about," Shinichi muttered. "It wouldn't do me any good and I'd probably end up even more confused than I am already."

"Well? Shall we be going?" Kaito raised an eyebrow.

"Yup. C'mon, Ghost-boy." Shinichi felt a sudden rage, and kicked Hattori in the shin. Hard.

"Say that again and I'll kick you with my shoes on," growled the chibi tantei.

Kaito laughed. "Yup, you're Tamahome, all right, no da."

"Stop calling me that!"

* * *

"Take off your shirt, please," Akako told Shinichi pleasantly. He stared at her.

"You have got to be kidding me," he stated disbelievingly.

"Don't worry, she's a professional, no da," Kaito reassured him.

"A professional  _what_?" The shrunken teen's voice was edging slightly on hysterical now.

"Sorceress, witch, medical doctor," Akako replied with a straight face.

"Don't forget pain in the rear, no da," Kaito muttered.

Akako smiled seductively at him. "But my dear monk," she cooed, "I do so  _love_ to torture you!" The others looked very squicked out by this exchange.

"Look," Shinichi said after a moment. "I could handle being shrunk, like my life had suddenly turned into a bad sci-fi movie or something. It wasn't easy, but I didn't go insane or anything."

"Ya sure 'bout that?" Hattori quipped. Shinichi glared at him, then continued.

"But you come out of practically nowhere, telling me I'm the reincarnation of this… Tamahome guy, and that I've lost the memories of my former life? Excuse me for being skeptical!"

"Well, actually, this is the second time you've lost your memories of Tamahome. But last time it was Tenko's fault, and he's sealed away now, no da," Kaito mused.

Akako and Shinichi were confused. "Who?"

"Oh, Tenko. He was this dude who thought he was a demon god, and he almost broke free of his seal, but you an' Miaka gave Suzaku enough power usin' yer love ta defeat him an' seal 'im away forever," Hattori explained in one breath.

 _How does he do that?_  Shinichi wondered, sweat dropping. Meanwhile, Akako was studying the boy's face, her expression carefully guarded. She suddenly clapped.

"Right! I know how we're going to do this. Unfortunately," she turned to Shinichi, "you are going to have to be unconscious, so you can't inadvertently redirect your energy flow when I start the spells."

"And I should trust you on this, again, why?" Shinichi asked.

"You shouldn't," Kaito bluntly told him. "But you have no other choice, no da. I don't have quite as much expertise as Miboshi does in this area."

Akako clapped again. "Well, let's get this started!" Before Shinichi could protest, Kaito murmured a quick spell and placed his hand to the shrunken teen's forehead. He fell unconscious without a second thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh, it's so fun and surprisingly _easy_ to torture Shinichi XD


	26. Intersection

It was dark here. Who'd turned out the lights? There was a voice, calling him. The tone was so heart-rending, he felt as though his heart would split in two. And it was so… familiar. Two people with one voice cried out.

"Miaka?"

"Ran?"

* * *

Heiji watched closely as the two magic users finished writing the last of the characters on and around Kudo. He still didn't trust Akako not to pull a trick out of her figurative hat. Even if Chichiri trusted her, the Osakan didn't. He watched as Chichiri and Miboshi closed their eyes and started to chant. A red glow surrounded Kudo's prone body…

* * *

Ran finished vacuuming, wiping her brow. She looked at the clock. 12:15 in the afternoon. It was a reasonable lunchtime. Besides, ever since she'd regained her memories as Miaka, her appetite had grown. _Heh heh. I guess Mouri Ran doesn't need to eat as much as Miaka Yuki, despite being a karate champion._

The karateka frowned. She used to be Miaka, and then she was Ran. But now, she was somewhere in between. _Who am I?_ she wondered, not for the first time.

The sight of Hattori dragging off Conan this morning came to mind, and she giggled. _That was so funny! But, I wonder what Tasuki needed from Conan-kun. They are friends, not really what you'd expect from a teenage boy and a little kid._

 _But how do you know Conan isn't Shinichi?_  That annoying part of her mind wondered. Ran sighed, trying to ignore that part of her for the moment while trying to pull apart this latest puzzle.

Suddenly, Ran heard a humming sound. _W-what is that?_  she thought frantically. It was piercing her brain, and it hurt, dammit! _Amiboshi?_ she wondered absently, recalling his flute-playing. _Or Suboshi?_  The world seemed hazy and everything was going dark. As the world faded away, she thought she heard a voice calling her name; both her names. _Shinichi_ , the Suzaku no Miko thought. _Tama… home…_

* * *

Haibara Ai knocked on the door to the Mouri Detective Agency. "Edogawa-kun?" she called. She knew someone was home, the vacuum had ceased only a moment before. The shrunken scientist frowned. Surely someone had heard her?

The Sherry part of her, with senses honed from her time in the Syndicate, instinctively knew something was wrong, as did the part of her she knew as Yui. _Something is definitely wrong here_ , the blonde miko thought. _Could Tamahome or Miaka in trouble?_

She pulled out a small case from her person, removing a small pick from it. It took a couple tries before the lock opened and she dashed in the room. Ran lay on the floor, not moving. "Miaka!" Yui cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Uh-oh. People randomly collapsing are usually bad signs. And existantialism... not the best thing to think about on an empty stomach ;P


	27. Lovers' Vision

A man lounged in the shadows. It was how he lived, a combination of his talents and his hobby. Black sunglasses hid his eyes from the rest of the world. As he lit his cigarette, the small flame cast a little light to reveal his bulky build. A second man approached the other. Long, platinum blonde hair made him seem a little effeminate, but the evil gleam in his eyes counteracted it.

"They've made their move," the second man told the first. "Soon we'll make ours."

The bulkier man grinned, the cigarette squashed between his teeth. "And then can I kill them, aniki?" he asked the other man eagerly.

He nodded, grinning. "Yes. Don't leave a single one alive."

* * *

They sought each other out. Four personas and two souls.

_Shinichi?_

_Miaka?_

_Tamahome?_

_Ran?_

_It's dark here, Shinichi,_ Ran thought, a little fearful.  _Where are you? I can't see anything._ A familiar touch brushed her fingers. Well, as close to fingers as you could get during what seemed to be an out-of-body experience.

 _Ran?_ asked Shinichi.  _Is that you? You seem… different, somehow._

 _Um, well, it's complicated,_  Ran fumbled for an answer.

Shinichi chuckled.  _Same old Ran. So confident and efficient, yet so fragile and unsure._

Her temper flared even as Shinichi's not-quite-fingers caressed her cheek.  _Baka! What's that supposed the mean?_ He was silent.  _Shinichi? You're still here, aren't you?_

 _Of course I am. I'm not going anywhere,_ he replied.

 _But… you always do,_ Ran whispered _. You show up for a case or an event, and then you just disappear._  It was nearly an exact replay of the last phone call they'd shared, when he had finally told her the danger he was in.

_I-I'm tired of it, Shinichi. Miaka could wait for Tamahome forever, but… I'm just Ran. I'm not so sure if I can._

He didn't ask what she was talking about, merely approached her again.  _Ran, let me show you something._ A tendril of warmth wrapped around her as memories, images, feelings, all Shinichi's, ran through her mind.

There was happiness, guilt, sadness, and through it all, pure love. Then, more images, this time of a different setting.  _Tamahome…_ Miaka thought, as memories of their life together replayed in her mind.

Her love smiled.  _Ran and Shinichi, Miaka and Tamahome, they're the same, just with a couple of personality tweaks. I'll always love you, whether you're Ran or Miaka. I'd love you even if we were both guys, or both girls. And I'll always be with you._

Ran felt the prickle of not-quite-tears. Suddenly, a third presence entered their midst.

 _Neechan?_ a child's voice was heard.

 _Conan-kun?_ Ran thought in amazement. Well, there went her theory Conan and Shinichi were the same person.  _What are you doing here?_ Shinichi didn't seem very surprised for some reason.

 _Conan is difficult to explain,_ he informed her gently.  _He and I are very similar, but… it's really, really complicated. Just… take good care of him, will you? He's different from other kids, you know that, and he can do most things on his own, but he still needs help and guidance for some things._

 _Neechan, niisan, it's time to go,_ Conan told the two.  _Miboshi and Chichiri are almost done, niisan, and neechan, Yui-neechan is getting worried about you._ The two lovers directed questioning probes at each other, as well as the little boy.

 _Well, I guess we'll have to go,_ Ran said reluctantly.

 _Yeah,_ Shinichi replied softly.

 _I'm sorry,_ Conan apologized.

 _It's all right, Conan-kun,_ Ran told him warmly.  _It's not your fault._

 _If you want to come back here, I'm pretty sure I could do it!_ the boy told them excitedly, brightening.  _Niisan may be smart, but I've learned a lot, too!_

 _Thank you, Conan-kun,_  Ran said. Shinichi directed a smile at the boy. Then, they all slowly faded away into the darkness.

* * *

Slowly, Shinichi regained consciousness. "Uhh," he groaned, bringing his hand to his head. "Headache," he muttered.

"Oi, Kudo, yer awake!" a voice said.

He opened his eyes. "Tasuki?"

A wide grin split the wing seishi's face. "Yeah, it worked! Hey, 'Chiri, Miboshi! It worked! One of 'em's awake!" he called.

"Huh?" Shinichi questioned articulately. "One of them?" Then he noticed something that he should have earlier. He was back in his old body! He saw Hattori gesture to Shinichi's left, and the Detective of the East gaped.

Laying right next to him was Conan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I can't believe I actually wrote this *cackles wildly* Evil cliffie of DOOM!


	28. Unexpected Visit

Ai's fingers quickly flew to Ran's wrist, checking for a pulse. Finding one, she breathed a sigh of relief. It was a little unsteady, but there. Carefully, she moved the vacuum back to the closet. Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. Her heart leapt in her throat. What should she do?

* * *

It had been approximately 9:30, Tokyo time, when Eisuke arrived on the plane. Jodie-sensei was there and she'd gotten him settled in, despite the fact they were technically from different organizations. After unpacking (he didn't have much), he decided to pay Ran a visit. A fond smile spread across his face at the thought of seeing the karateka again.

Thanking the cabdriver, Eisuke went up to the Mouri Detective Agency. As he approached the door, a sense of foreboding crept upon him, causing the agent-in-training to frown. He knocked on the door a couple times, then waited. The sound of rustling could be heard from inside.

"Hello?" Eisuke called. "Ran-san? Conan-kun? Mouri-san?"

The door opened a bit, and Eisuke blinked. It was the little blonde girl Kudo hung out with. Something familiar struck him about this girl…

"Excuse me, but are Ran-san or Mouri-san here?" He asked the little girl.

Her expression was blank, but there was a wariness about her. "I'm sorry, but Mia- Mouri-chan isn't feeling well at the moment," the girl hastily covered her slip.

Eisuke's eyes widened. "You know Miaka as well?" he asked.

"You must be mistaken," the blonde calmly told him, cool as a cucumber. "There's no one named Miaka here."

A voice called from inside, weak, but there. "Who's there?"

Ai quickly left the door, and Eisuke took the opportunity to slip inside.

"Ai-chan? What are you doing here?" Ran asked, confused.

"I came over to see if Edogawa-kun could play and I found you on the ground unconscious," the small girl told her. "Are you all right?"

"Uh, yes, I think so." Ran gasped. "Shinichi-Tamahome-Conan-it-they- I have to call Hattori-kun!" She struggled to get up, but her legs gave out, forcing her to sit back down.

At hearing the names Ran was spouting, Eisuke's eyes widened. _Kudo, Conan, and Tamahome are all the same person?_  he thought. Just then, she noticed him.

"Eisuke? What are you doing here? I thought you were in America." To say Ran was confused would be an understatement. The karateka was absolutely baffled. What with meeting Shinichi and Conan in a dream, and then Eisuke showing up when he was supposed to be in an entirely different country… yah, absolutely baffled.

"Oh, I came back to see if I could find anymore leads on my sister!" the CIA agent-in-training fibbed. He noticed the blonde girl's eyes narrow with distrust. _Curious_ , he thought. Very _curious_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hope everyone's enjoying so far ^^


	29. Distrustful Friends

Ai didn't trust Eisuke. She hadn't really trusted him before and she didn't trust him now. She couldn't figure him out. That, and she wasn't completely sure who Eisuke was the reincarnation of. Only one of the Suzaku or Seiryuu warriors would know who Miaka was.

 _Kudo-kun is Tamahome, and Hattori-kun is Tasuki, but those are the only ones I know of at the moment. Then, of course, Mouri-chan is Miaka. Apparently she knows them as well._  The miniature scientist went back to her analysis of Eisuke. _He doesn't strike me as one of my warriors. Amiboshi,_ maybe _, but I highly doubt it._  Her thoughts were interrupted as the two teenagers had proceeded to get up-to-date with recent events.

Eisuke frowned as Ran held her hand up to her temple. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"H-hai, I'm fine. Just a little headache," Ran smiled wanly at him.

"Do you need something to drink, Mouri-chan?" Ai asked, seizing an opportunity. "Hondou-kun can help me make some tea." Not giving either a chance to object, Ai grabbed Eisuke's wrist and dragged him off to the kitchen, semi-gently slamming the door behind them.

"Who are you?" Ai demanded.

"I'm not sure what you mean-" Eisuke began to say before the girl cut him off.

"Are you a Suzaku or Seiryuu warrior?" Ai asked, eyes narrowed and distrustful.

 _Ah, so that's the game._ Eisuke's suspicions were confirmed. "Why don't we discuss this over tea?" the teen suggested smoothly.

Ai's expression hardened. "Don't play games with me," she warned. "I may not have any powers of my own, but I could take any combination of condiments in this kitchen and poison you with them."

Realization dawned on Eisuke. No powers could only mean one thing… "You would be the Seiryuu no Miko, then?" A smirk found its place on his face. "I would think our situations here would be reversed and you would be the threat, not me."

"So you  _are_  a Suzaku seishi?" Yui ascertained.

"Hotohori, are your service, dear lady." Eisuke gave a somewhat mocking bow.

The girl's expression softened. "Good. I would hate to upset Miaka by killing you in her kitchen." Eisuke laughed nervously; for some reason, he had no doubt she could have done that if necessary.

 _It's not good to be so scared of a little girl_ , Eisuke thought morosely.

"Now, the tea." Ai returned to what they were supposed to be doing.

"Has Miaka regained the memories of her former life?" Eisuke questioned as he filled the kettle with water.

"I believe so," Ai replied, searching though a cabinet for some tea. "Going by the names she spouted, at any rate."

"Yes, Kudo-kun would make the most sense as Tamahome," the other mused. "But Hattori-kun?"

"Tasuki," Ai answered as Eisuke turned on the burner.

"My sister, who I was looking for before," Eisuke told her, "is Hoki." At Ai's semi-baffled look, he clarified, "My wife, the empress of Konan."

"Ah," Ai understood. She winced, or at least changed her facial expression slightly. "That must be hard for you."

"Actually, not so much," he admitted softly. "It's odd, really. But not overly so."

A moment of awkward silence passed. As the water started to boil, Ai put a tea bag in the kettle to let it steep. "Should we tell her who we are?" Eisuke wondered. "I mean, she hasn't given you any hint as to if she recognized you, has she?"

Ai shook her head. "None." Another few minutes passed in silence. "Well, I think the tea's just about done now, wouldn't you say, Hotohori?" Ai arched an eyebrow at the teen, emphasizing his name.

"Yes, I believe it is, Yui," Eisuke replied, catching on. He winked at the girl, then poured some tea into a cup, adding just a dash of honey.

Ai opened the kitchen door for him. "There you go, Hotohori," she said, just loud enough for Ran to hear.

"Thank you," Eisuke replied. "It's hard to open a door when you have your hands full."

She replied with an acerbic, "No, really?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know pretty much nothing about tea, other than the basic how-to-make-it, and that honey adds flavor to it, so if you know something that I don't that should be fixed, feel free to tell me.


	30. Memory Game Reprise

"Ai-chan? Eisuke-kun?" Ran inquired.

"Here, drink your tea, Miaka," Eisuke handed her the cup. "I think you'll feel better if you do," he added with a soft smile.

Taking it, Ran peered over the rim of her cup as she sipped the warm liquid, scrutinizing the duo. "Hotohori?" she ventured.

"None other," the bespectacled teen replied, a warm smile crossing his features. He stroked Ran's cheek softly with his hand. "I've missed you," he told her, his gaze full of love. Ran's face reddened under his intense stare.

"Ahem," Ai cleared her throat meaningfully, arching an eyebrow at Eisuke. "I believe Tamahome would react very violently if he found out you were putting any moves on Miaka," the blonde deadpanned.

"Ah, yes," Eisuke straightened, suddenly back to his clumsy self. "Sorry," he apologized to Ran.

"Uh, it's okay, Hotohori," Ran assured him. "I mean, it has been a long time. It's easy to forget things."

"It has been a long time, hasn't it, Miaka?" Ai smiled at her best friend's reincarnation. "On the other hand, it seems like just yesterday we found The Universe of the Four Gods in the library."

"Yui," Ran breathed. Filled with happiness at being reunited with her best friend, she swept the smaller girl into a hug. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"I'm so sorry, Miaka," Ai whispered, her voice filled guilt. "I don't feel like I can say it enough times. What I did, and you still accepted me as your friend…"

"Stop!" Ran glared at Ai. "And I told  _you_  countless times that it wasn't your fault. Nakago took advantage of you and manipulated you. In the end, you realized the truth, so good came out of it, right?" Ai nodded, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Not to interrupt the tearful reunion or anything," Eisuke interrupted from the sidelines, but now that we've gotten caught up and everything, am I correct in assuming that we are not going to have a peaceful reincarnation?"

Ran nodded. "When Taiitsukun appeared to restore the memories of my former life, she said that I needed to gather my warriors in order to combat the evil that was arising," the karateka informed them.

"Well, aside from me, is there anyone else you know of?" Eisuke inquired.

"Yes. I know who everyone else is, actually," Ran beamed. "Nuriko has been reincarnated as Sonoko, Tasuki has been reincarnated as Hattori-kun, Chichiri as Kaitou KID-"

"Chichiri has been reincarnated as Kaitou KID?" the other two exclaimed.

"Yes, I know," Ran nodded in unison with their feelings.

"Well, we certainly can't turn him in," Ai mused.

"Yep, so we've formed a truce," Ran informed her friend and warrior. "Anyways, Mitsukake has been reincarnated as Takagi-keiji, Chiriko as Mitsuhiko-kun-" she watched Ai's eyebrows raise on  _that_  one- "and Tamahome as Shinichi." At the mention of her love, the brunette's face lit up.

"So the only obstacle left would be finding Kudo-kun," Eisuke mused, trying to ignore the pang in his heart at the sight of Ran so happy about Shinichi/Tamahome.

"I'm sure he'll turn up soon," Ai said. The others turned to her, surprised at the amount of confidence in her tone. The girl shrugged. "Just a feeling."

"Oh!" Ran exclaimed. "I almost forgot! Miboshi is also helping us."

Ai turned to her in bewilderment. "Miboshi?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes. She's helping us to locate the remaining Seiryuu warriors. She and KID know each other apparently," the brunette mused.

Ai's cell phone suddenly rang. "Moshi moshi," the blonde answered.

"Ai-chan, where are you?" Ayumi demanded. "We've been waiting forever!"

"Sorry, Ayumi-chan, I forgot," she apologized. "I'll be there shortly." She hung up, then turned to the others. "I'll have to go now. I forgot I was going to pick up Edogawa-kun, then go to the park with the others."

"We'll talk later, then," Ran told her. Smiling at her new-found best friend, Ai left the Detective Agency.

"Maybe we could all meet as some kind of safe ground," Eisuke suggested.

"I'll call Tasuki. I was going to do that originally, anyways," Ran said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Aww, tearful reunions.


	31. Two Wholes Make A Half

*Flashback*

"Huh?" Shinichi questioned articulately. "One of them?" Then he noticed something that he should have earlier. He was back in his old body! He saw Hattori gesture to Shinichi's left, and the Detective of the East gaped.

Laying right next to him was Conan.

*End Flashback*

"Tasuki, pinch me," Shinichi told the Osakan. "Ow!" he cried when the other complied.

"What? Ya told me ta pinch ya, Tama," Hattori told him somewhat playfully.

"Okay, so I guess I'm not dreaming," Shinichi said. "But how is this possible? I'm here, and Conan is right  _there_?"

Just then, Kaito and Akako entered the room. "Ah! You're awake!" the thief observed. "We were a little worried there for a while, no da."

"Chichiri, how is this possible?" Shinichi asked his look-alike, running a hand through his hair.

"We're not entirely sure," Akako told him. "At one point during the spell, you just separated into two separate people." She frowned. "This could complicate matters."

"How?" Hattori asked.

"It's not natural for there to be two copies of one person, even if they're ten years apart in age, no da," Kaito explained. "Imagine, one person suddenly being torn in two. In a sense, it's like splitting that person's soul in half. It could cause irreparable damage to the person's soul, and affect any future reincarnations, no da."

"What's going on?" a voice asked. They turned to see Conan was awake.

"Hey, shrimp, how're ya feelin'?" Hattori asked the mini-me of Shinichi.

"My head kinda hurts," Conan winced. He looked around at the others, eyes widening at the sight of Shinichi. "Tamahome!" he exclaimed happily.

"Sorry, but do I know you?" the detective asked, feeling incredibly guilty, though he had no idea why.

"Silly!" the little boy chastised him. "You know me! I'm your brother, Chuei!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And yes, another Cliffie Of Doom! *cliche evil laughter* Sorry for the short chappie.


	32. Enemies Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Spoilers for DC chapters 608 and 609!

In a dark warehouse, a woman listened to the message on her cell phone. A calculating smirk pulled at her lips. _It seems my arsenal has doubled_ , she thought. Her fingertips crackled with power, in tune to her emotions. "Can you pull this one off, then, Silver Bullet-kun?" she murmured.

The previously mentioned woman's colleague shivered, a sinister grin forming on his face. _Soon_ , Gin thought. _It'll be time for our move._

"Aniki, did you feel that?" his burly companion queried, hackles raised. The first man nodded.

"It was the chi of a Suzaku warrior," a new voice said. The owner of it melted out of the darkness.

"Tomo," Vodka acknowledged.

"Did you have any success with your mission?" asked Gin, flicking his cigarette butt on the ground before he stepped on it.

The illusionist scowled. "Those twins are more trouble than they're worth, alive or dead. Especially Suboshi; that shrimp is more annoying than Soi's infatuation with you! Can you  _believe_  him? I mean, I'd barely said anything when that little brat practically bore a hole through me with his Ryuuseisui!" the sniper fumed.

Gin grinned sadistically. "That  _might_  be because you killed his precious older brother." Then he was serious. "Did he have any clues as to the stone?"

The other shook his head. "None. Not like he would have told me if he did know anything, anyways. And with that infuriatingly sharp mind he probably  _does_  know something. His talents really are wasted in his current profession," he mused.

Vodka suddenly stiffened. "There's someone here," the wolf warrior growled. He sniffed. "It's Kir."

Gin scowled. He did not like that woman. Something about her chi was just… too  _pure_. And after that business with Akai Shuuichi, his distrust in her had skyrocketed. True, she had killed the FBI agent in front of his very eyes (technically, the camera, he added), but the sniper was a slippery bastard. He wouldn't put something past Kir at this point.

"Vermouth sent me," the object of his musings told the three men. She handed Gin a note, scrawled in the actress's distinctive penmanship, a cross between shorthand and regular kanji. Kir's eyes widened at the sight of Tomo, who swore under his breath as he deciphered the note over Gin's shoulder.

"What are you doing here, Snake?" she inquired.

"None of your business, and if you want to keep your pretty little head attached to your shoulders, I'd suggest shutting up," the sniper retorted.

"Thank you, Kir," Gin told the young woman. Nodding curtly, she left the men's company. Suddenly, he felt a small tendril of chi around the young woman. It was brief, the sense lasting not even a second, but it was enough to send all sorts of alarms off in the former general's head. "Son of a bitch!" he snarled after the woman was gone.

"What is it, Nakago?" Snake inquired worriedly.

The blonde seethed. "Kir is in league with Konan's emperor, Hotohori. We have to act quickly. According to that woman-" he refused to call Vermouth by any name other than that- "her, as she's dubbed them, 'Silver Bullets,' have somehow multiplied. We have to act quickly." He met Vodka's eyes. "Prep one of the trackers."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I finally got around to some of the Seiryuu seishi! And the last ominous line...Well, we'll just have to wait and see what's going on with people, hmm? *evil snicker* And as for Vermouth's 'code,' I really suck at that sort of thing, so it's pretty much complete crap. If such a code does exist, I don't own it!


	33. Recovery and Repetition

Takagi ran a hand through his hair wearily. There were some days he absolutely hated being a police officer. Today was one of those days.

It looked as if there was a serial killer on the loose, and though Megure-keibu had tried hard to keep news of it from being leaked, it was now pretty much public knowledge. So far, six more bodies had shown up since that first one roughly a week ago.

They were all marked, somewhere, with a red character of Suzaku's seishi. No one  _really_  knew what the characters meant aside from him. Yes, they linked the murders together, but as for the story behind the characters… Takagi highly doubted anyone would believe him.

Well, Miwako-san had. Shortly after they'd gotten together, he'd told her the basics of the Suzaku seishi, and of his power to heal. Most people probably would have been freaked out, suggested him to a mental ward or something. Miwako-san was not most people, the healer thought with a smile.

Speaking of healers… "Hey, Shiratori-kun!" Takagi waved to his co-worker. The curly-haired police officer waved back. "How's the eye?" he asked. Shiratori self-consciously put a hand up to the eye patch that now covered his right eye.

A few weeks prior, they'd been chasing a suspect through an abandoned warehouse. Shots were fired, and one had scratched Shiratori's eye, robbing him of its sight. While Sato had pursued the suspect, Takagi tried as best he could to heal the curly-haired officer's eye, but the best he could do was keep it from scarring. All while his co-worker was unconscious, of course. Since then, the eye had turned a milky-white color, leading Shiratori to wearing an eye patch to cover it.

"It's doing fine. Sometimes it kind of aches, but the doctor said it's to be expected," Shiratori told his co-worker. "Hello there, Sato-san," he said. Takagi turned to see her approaching the two.

"Shiratori," Sato acknowledged him with a nod. "You're back?"

"Yes, the doctor cleared me for duty," he replied.

"It's good to have you back," she told him. "Takagi-kun!" Miwako turned to Wataru.

"Ah, hello, Sato-san," he told her cheerfully. _She's so beautiful,_ Takagi thought.

"Are we still going out later?" she whispered.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I have reservations," Wataru remembered.

"Great!" Miwako beamed. "I'm going to go get some coffee. You want something?"

"No thank you," Takagi declined. He noticed Shiratori watching their quiet exchange with an amused look in his remaining eye. "Do you want coffee, Shiratori-kun?" he asked the other man.

"That'd be nice, thank you," Shiratori said. Smiling, Sato nodded at the two men, then turned to go get the coffee.

"So," Chiba drawled, leaning in toward his friend. "You and Sato-san got a date tonight, huh?"

"Huh? Wha-what are you talking about?" Takagi spluttered.

"C'mon, man, practically  _everyone_  knows," Chiba told him patiently. "Why do you think the guys have been so sullen all week?" Come to think of it, that  _was_  true.

"Takagi-kun, Megure-keibu said that you had the files on that string of murder cases for me?" Shiratori asked. Making a non-committed sound, the tanned officer dug through the stack of papers on his desk for the files.

"Some of the guys have dubbed him the Tattooist," Chiba informed the curly-haired man conspiratorially.

"Really?" Shiratori raised an eyebrow. "Interesting."

"It's because each of the bodies that have been found have all had a small red tattoo somewhere on their body," Takagi added. "That's the only link that's been found between the deceased so far, except they were all male."

"Elixir of life with enough taste to strip paint off the walls!" Miwako sing-songed as she made her way to the trio. She handed Shiratori a mug of coffee. "Arigatou," he thanked her.

Suddenly, the door slammed open. Megure stood in the doorway, looking extremely serious. "Shiratori, Takagi, Sato, Chiba, you're with me," he informed the four. Another body's been found."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Uh-oh, another body, even when all the Suzaku seishi have been 'accounted' for! *evil chuckle*


	34. Incorrect Conclusions

The finest officers of Division One sped towards the crime scene. "The body was found in much the same condition as the first one," Megure told his subordinates what they knew so far. "We will have to revise any theories made so far," the mustached police inspector added. "The victim is a woman."

"Was she just killed, or was she…" Sato trailed off; not wanting to say aloud what she hoped wasn't true.

"We won't know until after the autopsy," Megure said. "Turn here," he told Takagi, who was driving.

It was the same park where the first body was found, Takagi noted. "Doesn't this give you a sense of déjà vu?" Sato murmured Takagi.

He nodded. "This is almost exactly like the first body that was found." They both looked around, half-expecting to see Conan and the Shonen tantei lurking around a corner somewhere.

With efficiency borne of way too many years of practice, they set about examining the crime scene for clues.

"Hey, what's this?" Miwako wondered.

"What's what?" Takagi asked. Shiratori craned in over his shoulder, while Chiba was in the background with Megure discussing something.

"Look," the brunette said, pointing to a point above the victim's navel. The shirt she was wearing bared at her midriff, and it was surprisingly devoid of blood, considering there were slashes all over the rest of the body.

"A green symbol?" Wataru murmured, confused. It was familiar, but where had he seen it before?

"Inami," Shiratori murmured in surprise. Out of the corner of his eye, Takagi saw Chiba freeze a moment, an indecipherable look on his face. Sato and he exchanged bewildered glances at their colleagues' behavior.

 _Inami… wasn't she a warrior of Genbu?_ the healer wondered. _Yes, she was!_  he realized. But how did his co-worker know that? More importantly, if a body with one of  _Genbu's_  symbols had showed up, then what was the motive behind these deaths, if not a warning to the Suzaku seishi?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And the plot thickens... Sorry for the short chappie.


	35. Two Wholes Make Two Wholes

_*Flashback*_

_"Um, do I know you?" Shinichi asked, feeling incredibly guilty, though he had no idea why._

_"Silly, you know me!" the boy chastised. "I'm your brother, Chuei!"_

_*End Flashback*_

The three Suzaku and one Seiryuu seishi were shocked at what they'd just heard. Chuei? Tamahome's younger  _brother_? Conan Edogawa was just a pseudonym, a cover identity for the shrunken Shinichi Kudo. How was it possible that Shinichi's mini-me was actually his past self's brother?

"Chuei," Shinichi said gently. "What's the last thing you remember?"

The young boy frowned. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "It was lunchtime, and Father was feeling better, so I was helping him set the food out. Then I heard a flute playing, and-"

"It's okay, you don't have to say anymore," Shinichi quickly told him, realizing he was recounting the events that had led up to the slaughter of their family by Suboshi. He turned to Akako and Kaito. "Do you guys have any idea what's going on?"

"I may have a way to gather some information one what's going on," Akako mused. She smiled invitingly at Conan. "Chuei, I'm going to give you a check-up, okay? It won't hurt; you'll just feel a slight tingle."

"Are you a doctor?" the boy asked.

"Of sorts," Akako replied. Chanting in some foreign breath, she concentrated her chi and put a hand on Conan's forehead. The others watched as her eyes closed. After a moment, the sorceress retreated.

"Well?" Kaito waited for an answer.

"I think I may have an answer," Akako informed the boys. "Based on what Tasuki has told us about what happened that caused your problem-"

"Sorry, Kudo, I had ta," Heiji apologized at the glare the other gave him.

"Anyways," Akako continued, "the scan I did of Chuei showed that he had no sign of the drug in his system."

"What?" the three teens exclaimed. Conan simply watched the conversation with semi-interest.

"Assumin' Chuei's body is th' same as Kudo's, wouldn't ya be able ta sense the drug?" Hattori asked. Akako nodded, frowning. "That doesn' make sense," the Osakan grumbled, running a hand through his hair.

"Besides that, how is it possible for two souls to be sharing the same body?" Shinichi wondered.

"Well, you're not sharing the same body exactly, per se," Kaito mused. "I mean, after all, you have no recollection of Chuei ever surfacing, do you, no da?"

"This all happened after that drug shrunk you, correct?" Akako questioned. Shinichi and Conan both nodded. "I wonder…perhaps Chuei was supposed to be reborn as Conan Edogawa, but due to your shrinking and taking that name for a pseudonym, his fate took a different turn."

"That would explain why none of the antidotes worked," Shinichi realized. "If there was no poison to counter react-"

"-then the effect would only be temporary," Conan finished. The two exchanged glances. Apparently 'Conan' was as sharp as Shinichi, even when they weren't the same person.

"But why would they separate jus'  _now_?" Heiji persisted.

"Something must've happened during the memory spell Chichiri and I were performing that did something," Akako theorized.

Conan and Shinichi exchanged glances, both coming to the same conclusion.

"Miaka," "Her Eminence," they said in unison.

"Whaddya mean?" Heiji asked.

"We talked to her-"

"-both of us-"

"-while we were unconscious."

"Ah, the power of love, no da," Kaito sighed, making doe eyes at the two. Shinichi and Conan both scowled at him.

Suddenly, Heiji's phone rang. "'scuse me," he told the others, then fished his mobile out. "Y'ello, Hattori here." He paused. "Neechan?" The others' eyes widened. Why was Ran calling him? "Yeah, me an' the kiddo are havin' a great time," the Osakan told her. He glanced at his companions, his expression screaming for help.

"Hmm? What's that?" Heiji's face lit up. "Ya found Hotohori? That's great! Who is he?" Then his expression fell a little. "Oh. Hondou-kun?"

Shinichi blinked.  _Eisuke_  was Hotohori? _Okaaay, he must've done something in a past life to be such a clumsy, shy, accident-prone person now,_  the tantei thought, sweat dropping.

"Camping trip?" Hattori was saying now. Everyone gazed at him curiously. "Fer everyone ta get ta know each other? That's actually a good idea." He winced, holding the phone away from his ear, then brought his mouth to the speaker. "No, I didn't mean that ya don't ever have good ideas!" Kaito was trying to contain his laughter while Akako smirked, Shinichi snickered, and Conan grinned.

"Ya wanna talk ta Conan-kun? Here he is, then."

As the phone passed from Hattori to Conan, Shinichi warned him: "Don't tell her I'm here, okay? I don't want her to get her hopes up."

Conan nodded, the serious expression on his face falling away as he took the phone. "Hi, Ran-neechan!" He listened for a moment. "No, Heiji-niichan isn't  _too_ boring." The others snickered as Heiji spluttered in indignation while the chibi grinned up at him.

"Heiji-niichan mentioned something about a camping trip," Conan said after a moment. "Can I come, too? I've learned a lot about camping from Agasa-hakase the times we went!" He listened, a serious look entering his eyes. "Maybe," he said softly. The chibi tantei's face then lit up. "I can? Really? That's great, Ran-neechan! Oh, you want to talk to Heiji-niichan again? Here he is."

Hattori took his mobile from the boy, glaring a little at him. "Huh? Yeah, yeah. I'll hafta ask m'folks, but I'm pretty sure they'll let me go. 's it okay if Kazuha comes?" He blushed. "It's not like  _that_!" Akako, Kaito, Shinichi and Conan exchanged knowing glances.

"'kay, I'll talk later with ya, neechan. See ya." With a 'snap,' Heiji closed his phone. "What?" he asked at the others' expressions. "Look, whatever yer thinkin', it ain't true! What?" he asked as Shinichi and Conan broke out into laughter. "What?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm feeling much better today, so here's an extra long chappie for all you people who are reading this!


	36. Open Hide and Seek

"There you are, Ai-chan!" Ayumi scolded. "We were waiting for you forever!"

"Sorry," the blonde apologized again. "I forgot."

"Well, you're here now, so we can play!" Mitsuhiko smiled at her. Ai gifted him with a tiny smile, her heart filling with sadness at the happiness it gave the younger boy. It was so obvious he had a crush on her.

She hated herself sometimes, having to act cold to the rest of the Shonen Tantei, preparing them for when she would eventually disappear. Lately, though, she'd been thinking. Shiho Miyano had nothing to look back to. When ( _not if_ , she told herself) she finished the antidote, should she take it? The only thing Shiho Miyano wanted was gone, taken by the bastards from the Organization just like everything else. Whereas Ai Haibara had friends, a home, a sort of grandfather… a life. Yui and Ai had Ran, too. Her best friend, even after all she'd put her through.

"Let's play hide-and-seek!" Ayumi decided. "C'mon, Ai-chan!"

"All right," she replied. "Who's it?"

"Not me!" Genta and Mitsuhiko exclaimed. Ai raised an eyebrow at Ayumi, who grinned.

"I guess I'm it then," the brunette giggled.

"Count to 50!" Genta said. Ayumi complied, going to a tree behind a bench some distance away, and started to count in a loud voice.

"…48, 49, 50! Ready or not, here I come!" Ayumi uncovered her eyes and turned around from facing the tree, then set of to find her companions.

She found Genta first, hiding in some bushes. "Aww!" the heavy-set boy complained about being found first. Giggling, Ayumi turned only to run smack dab into something. Looking up, she saw the 'something' was a person, and a strange one at that.

The man was wearing all black, from head to toe, and his face was hidden from view, except for his eyes. This mysterious figure was also very burly. "Where is the Seiryuu no Miko?" he rasped.

"Miko?" Genta wondered.

"There aren't any shrines around here," Ayumi told him.

"Where is the Seiryuu no Miko?" he repeated. "She is here, I can feel it." He glared at Ayumi. "If you are hiding her, the consequences will be extremely severe." Ayumi quivered under his glare.

"Hey! You leave Ayumi-chan alone!" Genta cried, coming between the two.

Ai, hearing the commotion, came out from her hiding spot. When she saw the man, she shivered, eyes widening. This man had the air of a cold-blooded killer.

"Ayumi, Genta, get away from him!" she cried, fear seeping through her voice. Hearing their friend, the two complied, running back towards her. "Get away from here, both of you," Ai ordered, her steely gaze brooking no defiance.

The man in black cocked his head, eyes narrowing. "Seiryuu no Miko," he intoned. "You will come with me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Dun Dun Duuuuuun! Cliffie... of Doom! There have been a lot of those. Don't forget to review!


	37. Overlapping Bonds

_*Flashback*_

_"Get away from here, both of you," Ai ordered, her steely gaze brooking no defiance._

_The man in black cocked his head, eyes narrowing. "Seiryuu no Miko," he intoned. "You will come with me."_

_*End Flashback*_

Mitsuhiko had heard Genta tell the mysterious figure to leave Ayumi alone. Only the feel of the overwhelming amount of evil chi kept the youngest Suzaku seishi from going immediately to help his friends. When he heard the stranger's orders, his eyes widened.

 _Haibara-san?_ She's _the Seiryuu no Miko?_  From behind the bush, he could see as Ayumi and Genta obeyed Ai's command, running off in the opposite direction. _Presumably to get help_ , he thought. Then his attention was drawn back to the other two.

"No," Ai refused, glaring at the man.

"Seiryuu no Miko, you  _will_  come with me, or I will take you by force," he replied coldly.

"I am  _never_ going back to Them," Ai hissed, her eyes narrowing. "And nothing you say will make me change my mind."

Mitsuhiko felt the man's chi flare in anger, and by the frightened look that briefly passed over Ai's face, she could, too. As he saw the man raise his arm, Mitsuhiko acted on what could only be called instinct.

"Haibara-san!" he cried, running to her.

She turned to him, eyes wide in fright and disbelief. "Mitsuhiko-kun!" she exclaimed. He tackled her, covering her smaller frame with his own. He heard a dull 'thud,' and then his head rang in pain.

"Are you… all right?" he asked Ai, slowly lifting his head.

"Mitsuhiko…" Ai whispered, staring at him a moment before she helped him to stand up.

Their attacker started to advance on the duo. "All those who interfere will be disposed of."

"Stay back, Haibara-san!" Mitsuhiko warned, standing in front of her.

The black-clothed man rushed at him, bringing up his fist to hit Mitsuhiko aside. Something dark and vengeful flared within the youngest Suzaku seishi. _No. I won't allow you to hurt her!_

Mitsuhiko's character glowed a deep vermillion as he felt his chi swell in an uncharacteristic display of power. A bright red light shone between the children and their attacker as the man crashed into and was thrown back.

Ai stared in awe at the barrier, then the freckled boy. _He's a warrior of Suzaku_ , she realized. _Why… why is he protecting me?_

The man's eyes narrowed in rage, standing up from where he'd landed. "Suzaku scum!" he spat. "Why do you protect the enemy miko?"

"She's not my enemy!" Mitsuhiko retorted. "She might've been in the past, but that doesn't matter now! It doesn't matter that I'm a Suzaku seishi; I will do whatever it takes to protect her!"

"Bold words for someone about to die," sneered the man. He rushed towards them again. As the boy's concentration wavered, the barrier flickered, then disappeared. Grabbing Mitsuhiko's arm, the man snapped it, causing him to scream in pain.

"Mitsuhiko!" Ai cried.

* * *

Ran and Eisuke's heads both jerked up.

"I felt something," the brunette said, frightened.

"I did, too," Eisuke agreed.

"It was just like the time when Nuriko…" Ran trailed off, horrified. "Come on!" The two exited the apartment in a hurry.

* * *

Sonoko was walking down the street when she felt it. A sickening, gut-lurching feeling that made her feel like she wanted to crawl into bed for a month. Just then, she saw Ayumi and Genta running down the sidewalk in her direction, looking very frightened.

"Oi, where's the fire?" she asked, stopping them.

"There- there's this weird man at the park!" Genta exclaimed, pointing the way they'd came.

"He kept on asking us where the Seiryuu no Miko was, and I think he's going to hurt Ai-chan!" Ayumi cried.

Several pieces clicked together in Sonoko's dream. _The man in the park… that little blonde girl was in Ran's dreams… the Seiryuu no Miko…_  Then: _No. Chiriko must be at the park, too!_

Spotting a phone booth nearby, Sonoko ushered the two children into it. "Call Takagi-keiji!" she ordered, quickly telling them his cell phone number and putting in a few coins for the phone. Then she took off running.

 _Hang on, Chiriko!_ she thought desperately.

* * *

Takagi stiffened. Something was very wrong here. His stomach cramped suddenly, nausea assaulting him.

"Takagi-kun? What's wrong?" Sato asked worriedly.

"I don't feel very well," he told her weakly. "Megure-keibu," he said to his superior, who nodded. They were pretty much done here, anyways.

"I'll accompany him," Shiratori offered. "Just to make sure he doesn't pass out or anything while driving." The others nodded, concerned looks following the duo.

Suddenly, his cell phone rang. "Takagi here," he answered somewhat weakly.

"Takagi-keiji!" Ayumi's frightened voice came over the phone. "Sonoko-neesan gave us your number. There's this man at the park, and we think he's going to hurt Ai-chan!"

Takagi's stomach clenched. _Chiriko,_ he realized. "Where?" he barked. Ayumi gave him the address and then the tanned officer hurried to his car. Silently, Shiratori slid in the seat next to him.

* * *

Heiji, Shinichi, and Kaito suddenly froze. "Oh, shit," Shinichi choked out, the pain tearing at him. Akako and Conan stared at the three in worry.

"What is it?" the sorceress inquired.

"One of us has been hurt, no da," Kaito explained, hurriedly grabbing his hat and staff.

"Will ya be able ta transport us there, 'Chiri?" Heiji asked worriedly.

"What do you think I'm trying to do, no da?" the monk retorted in annoyance. "I'll take us as close as I can."

"We're coming with," Conan declared. The Suzaku seishi exchanged glances, then nodded to the boy and Akako. They all ducked through the hat, Kaito last of all.

 _I just hope we're not too late_ , Shinichi prayed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The evil Cliffie of Doom strikes again! Now I have to stop putting off my homework and actually go do it... Don't forget to review, even if you _are_ all upset about the Cliffies of Doom!


	38. Turtle, Too?

"Mitsuhiko!" Ai cried, kneeling next to the boy where he'd fallen.

"Haibara-san," he whispered, face contorted with pain, "run away." He held back a sob as their attacker kicked him.

"Leave him alone!" Ai demanded, well and truly  _pissed_  now.

"I warned you that anyone who interferes will be disposed of," said the black-cloaked man. He turned to Ai. "Now, Seiryuu no Miko, you  _will_  come with me."

"Like hell I will!" Ai retorted.

"Chiriko!"

They turned to see Sonoko running towards them. She stopped, seeing Mitsuhiko's prone figure on the ground. "Get. Away. From him," she growled.

"More Suzaku minions," muttered the black-clothed man in annoyance.

"Nuriko," Mitsuhiko whispered, smiling a little. "Don't worry about me. Protect… Haibara-san."

"Will you shut up, brat?" the man angrily demanded. He kicked the freckled boy again.

"You're going to be sorry for that," Sonoko promised, suddenly quite close to them. She punched the man in the face, sending him tumbling back. Blood sprayed from his face, and he held his nose gingerly.

"Bitch!" he snarled.

Sonoko's face contorted in rage. She rushed at the man, and then  ** _KICKED_**. He went flying back through about two or three trees. Ai gaped, astonished at the sight.

"How dare you?" ranted the older -physically- girl. "First you hurt Chiriko-chan, then try to hurt Ai-chan, and  _then_  you have the  _nerve_  to call me names? Besides, I am  _way_  too pretty to be called anything like that!" Sonoko huffed, flipping her hair. Despite the severity of the situation, Ai was quite close to sweat dropping.

"Sonoko!" She turned to see Ran, Eisuke, Takagi, and Shiratori running across the park to them. "Are you all right?" the brunette panted. She gasped at the sight of Mitsuhiko's bruised and bloody figure on the ground.

Quickly, Takagi went to the boy, examining his wounds. "What happened?" Eisuke questioned.

Sonoko did a double-take. "Eisuke-kun?" she asked.

"It's a long story," he waved her question off.

Just then, they heard something stir. The man who'd attacked the children and Sonoko slowly got to his feet, somehow still conscious after being kicked through a couple of trees.

"Is he even human?" Sonoko demanded of no one in particular as Eisuke surreptitiously stepped in front of Ran.

As the man started to advance towards the group, two things happened.

Two streaks of blue - _was that water?_  Ran wondered- raced towards the attacker from Shiratori's outstretched hand, encircling the man's torso. The three teens watched in amazement as, before their eyes, the man seemed to freeze.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" a familiar voice shouted. The group, aside from Takagi, Mitsuhiko, and Shiratori, turned to see the group of Kaito, Heiji, Shinichi, Conan, and Akako rushing towards them.

"Shinichi!" Ran cried happily.

 _Kudo-kun?_ Ai thought, bewildered by the sight of both Conan and Shinichi there.

"Ran?" the Detective of the East inquired, taking in the scene. "What happened here?"

"Hikitsu?" Kaito said in disbelief. They turned to Shiratori, who was checking the now semi-frozen man.

"A Celestial Warrior of Genbu?" Akako exclaimed.

Ai started. "Miboshi?" she asked dubiously.

The sorceress blinked. "Yui-sama?"

"Yui?" several voices exclaimed.

Bewildered, they started talking all at the same time until-

"Pudding!" cried Conan. He shrugged at all the looks he was getting. "I couldn't think of any other way to get your attention," he explained.

"A-hem, not to interrupt or anything," Takagi said, picking the now-sleeping Mitsuhiko up, "Chiriko is stable for now, so wouldn't it be best if we move to a less open location?" Exchanging looks, the two mikos and the warriors silently agreed.

"I think I can help with that," Shinichi told them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ack! I felt so bad after I wrote this chapter! I actually had a dream where Mitsuhiko was dead and his ghost was haunting me ^^;;; 
> 
> Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this latest update that, surprisingly enough, is not an evil Cliffie of Doom. You know what, that's going to be my new catchphrase. Cliffie... of Doom (C)! Yeah, that sounds good (^^)v 
> 
> Oh, and the pudding thing, blame Morwen Mai for that. She was eating pudding while I was working on the next SG-13 chapter, and then she started acting like Muki, and... well, yeah, Conan shouting 'Pudding!' happened ^^; Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter; don't forget to review!


	39. Bittersweet Nothings

Kaito thoughtfully transported the group to the Kudo house, which Shinichi had allowed the use of for their base of operations. It had been dubbed that by Hattori, who'd then started humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme song.

"Tasuki, if you don't stop it in about two seconds, I'm going to pulverize you," Shinichi threatened him.

Pouting, Heiji stopped. "You have no sense a humor, Kudo," he complained.

"At least I'm not in denial," Shinichi muttered his retort, causing the Osakan to splutter while Ran, who'd heard her childhood friend's reply, smiled slightly, blushing.

"Sorry to interrupt the loving bonding and everything," Shiratori deadpanned, "but don't we have more important matters to discuss?"

The teens' playful moods immediately disappeared. The Genbu warrior was right. They maybe have caught the man who'd tried to kidnap Ai and who'd hurt Mitsuhiko, but it didn't dismiss the fact that events were very serious.

* * *

"That should do it," Takagi declared, the last of the healing glow fading away. "How do you feel?" he asked the freckled boy.

"Much better, thanks," Mitsuhiko replied, smiling. Observing the officer's slump and the weary creases on his forehead, he asked, "Are  _you_  okay?"

"I'm fine. Just a little tired since healing uses my own energy," Takagi explained. "I healed your arm and the bruises, but you should rest for a bit; to let your body recover naturally." Getting up to go, he noticed a figure in the doorway out of the corner of his eyes. "It looks as if you have a visitor," Wataru told Mitsuhiko. He passed Ai coming in as he left.

The girl was studiously avoiding Mitsuhiko's eyes, her face carefully devoid of expression.

"Haibara-san," the boy welcomed her warmly. Ai gave a tiny flinch, barely noticeable if you weren't paying attention.

"Thank you," she told him softly.

"It was nothing, Haibara-san," Mitsuhiko replied.

She lifted her head, expression determined. "Why?" Ai demanded. "Why did you protect me? I almost got you killed! And on top of that, I-I'm the Seiryuu no Miko! I'm your  _enemy_!"

"I meant what I said back in the park, Haibara-san," Mitsuhiko told her seriously. "I don't care about the past. What matters is the here and now, and what we can do about it." In a rare moment of affection, he hugged her. "I would do  _anything_  to protect you, Haibara-san," the freckled boy told the girl seriously.

"Please-" the word caught in her throat. "Don't Mitsuhiko-kun. I'll only break your heart."

"Well then, if you do break it, you can also put it back together again," he replied, smiling at her. A small smile stretched Ai's lips.

"Ah, the power of love, no da!" a falsetto voice exclaimed. The two children jumped, breaking away from each other.

"Chichiri," Mitsuhiko said. He glared. "How long have you been there?"

"Um, w-why do you ask, no da?" the monk chuckled nervously at the dangerous gleam that entered his fellow seishi's eyes. KID wisely chose that time to make his exit.

"Could you help me up so I can kill him, Haibara-san?" the freckled boy not-quite growled.

Ai gave a slight chuckle. "You can call me Ai-san, Mitsuhiko-kun," she told him, a light blush staining her cheeks.

"Ah, thank you… Ai-san." The two shared shy, secretive smiles as Ai helped Mitsuhiko to the living room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Aw, teh fluff; it kills me XD And then Kaito ruins everything. *is shot*   
> If anyone is wondering why no one seems surprised about Ai acting all grown-up and everything, it's because she's Yui's reincarnation, hence she has Yui's memories, which will influence her behavior.


	40. Heckling Hijincks

"So what are we goin' ta do with him?" Heiji brought up the subject. The group had gathered in the living room. Ran and Shinichi were sitting on the sofa, with Sonoko sitting on the arm of it. The couple, who kept exchanging covert glances, moved over to let Ai and Mitsuhiko sit down.

"What is that, the Lovebirds Couch, no da?" Kaito asked cheerfully. The two couples glared at the phantom thief, who was perched on top of the armchair Conan was sitting in.

"Do you  _enjoy_  torturin' people?" Heiji asked bluntly from the wall he was slouched against.

"In a word: Maybe. Yes."

"That's  _two_  words," Sonoko pointed out.

"Are they always like this?" Shiratori asked Takagi in a whisper. They were both seated on chairs Kudo had pulled from the kitchen before he and Ran had decided to play the fated lovers card and stare into each other's eyes.

"Regretfully," Takagi replied. _It's what happens when most of the shichiseishi are teenagers_ , he thought morosely.

"Hmm," the curly-haired officer mused. "Hatsui was never like that."

"Speaking of which- will you please stop!" Somehow Heiji and Kaito had gotten each other into mutual headlocks, and Sonoko looked like she was about to throw them through a wall or something. Conan, the little hellion, looked  _amused_  by it, while the Lovebirds Couch occupants were too ensconced with each other to notice anything.

"Okay, seriously! Could you all stop fighting for five seconds and just  _get along_!"

Everyone stared at Takagi's outburst, very uncharacteristic of the normally quiet officer. The thief and tantei quietly disengaged from each other. "Thank you. Now, to discuss more  _important_  things." He glared at Sonoko, Heiji and Kaito, who at least tried to act embarrassed.

"Does anyone have any idea who might have sent the attacker?" Eisuke piped up from the other arm of the couch.

"Now _I_ have a question: Why are you here?" Heiji frowned.

"Now, now, Tasuki, that's no way to talk to your emperor," Eisuke smirked.

Sonoko promptly fell off the couch arm. "Hotohori-sama?" she spluttered. A cloud of gloom overtook her as she hung her head. Everyone else sweat dropped.

Conan sighed. This wasn't exactly what he pictured when all the warriors had gathered. Speaking of which…"Since all the warriors are gathered, shouldn't you be able to summon Suzaku now?" Everyone stared.

"You know, he's right," Sonoko said slowly. The chibi sweat dropped. "But, wait, how do you know about Suzaku?"

 _Crap._  "Uh, I learned about it from Shinichi-niisan!" The boy pointed at Shinichi, who, hearing his name, blinked.

"Who learned what from me?" he inquired.

"And you call yourself a detective," Sonoko rolled her eyes. "You told chibi-chan about Suzaku?"

 _Think, think, think! Well, partial truths worked before…_  he thought, remembering Hattori's actions. Taking a breath, he jumped into the proverbial deep end. "What, you think the reincarnation of my brother wouldn't want to know?"

The others blinked. "Well, that certainly explains a lot," Mitsuhiko said, nodding to himself.

"But it cannot happen at this time," Akako said from where she was levitating in the middle of the room.

"Why not?" Ran asked.

"I was told by Lucifer last night that the warriors of Suzaku, Genbu, Byakku were all needed in order to stop Them," she said.

"And you didn't tell us this earlier why, no da?" Kaito inquired.

"We had more important matters to attend to," the sorceress informed him loftily.

"Wait. They shouldn't be able ta summon Seiryuu," Heiji argued. "They need the miko fer that, and I kinda doubt th' li'l neechan is gonna consent ta that."

"That's probably why the man who attacked us was sent. He probably knew that," Ai said quietly. There was no doubt in the Suzaku warriors' minds that 'he' was Nakago. "Whoever that man is, my guess is that he has a fine-tuned sense for tracking people's chi. After all, the only reason I've been able to hide this long is by hiding my chi."

Mitsuhiko held Ai's hand as her voice shook, offering an encouraging smile. The blonde gave a small smile back.

 _What kind of life did you live, Yui?_  Ran wondered from the other side of the girl. _I mean, you're still just a child._

Suddenly, Akako opened her eyes. "This can't be possible," she whispered in disbelief.

"What's not possible?" Takagi questioned.

"I-I can feel Amiboshi's chi," the sorceress continued, looking bewildered. "He's coming closer." Everyone readied themselves, preparing for...  _something_.

As the front door opened, a voice cried out a surprised, "Tou-san?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ah, the evil Cliffie of Doom (C) strikes again! Sorry if the chappie's a little crappy. Please remember to review!


	41. Tiger Musings

"I would wonder if your eyes were just playing tricks on you," Andre Camel, FBI agent, mused, "but-"

"You saw him yourself," Jodie Starling pointed out. "I'm positive Shuu's alive, Andre!" The 'He just  _has_  to be,' went unspoken. "First the bank, and then the department store!"

"You think he teleported himself out of the car before it blew up?" Camel inquired.

"Mm-hmm," Jodie replied. "Ah! Hot!" she exclaimed, nearly spitting out the coffee she'd just drunk.

"Need me to cool it down for you?" Andre questioned teasingly.

"Shut up, you," Jodie smacked him on the back of his head. "How's Suzuno-san doing?"

"Pretty well. She says she's worried about her son, though. Lately he's been acting strangely, and his friends at school say he's been rather quiet."

"Well, at least she's got Tatara," Jodie said. "She was just heartbroken after her husband died."

"Hmm, yes," Andre replied. "How's Hondou-kun?"

"I helped him get settled in earlier. I'm not sure whether he knows something or not, but for some reason I get the same sort of feeling I get from you."

"Really? Interesting…" Andre sipped his own coffee, making sure to 'cool it down' first.

"Show-off," Jodie muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And the FBI enters the scene, with more clues as to the identities of more of the warriors! Anybody who can guess correctly who Camel, Jodie, or Akai is gets the identity of Suzuno, the Byakku priestess. And don't forget to review!   
> ~~God this is so fucking short...~~


	43. Runs In the Family

_*Flashback*_

_As the door opened, a voice cried out a surprised, "Tou-san?!"_

_*End Flashback*_

Yuusaku Kudo stood in the doorway, a look of surprise on his face. "Shinichi, are you having a party?" he inquired, taking in the group assembled.

"A party? Ooh, Shin-chan, I didn't know you had it in you!" Yukiko Kudo cried from behind her husband. She purposefully strode across the room, stopping as she looked from Conan to Shinichi. If she seemed surprised, she didn't show it, exclaiming, "And Co-chan is here, too!" before glomping the boy.

"Tou-san, what are you  _doing_  here?" Shinichi spluttered.

"I heard the call of the dear lady," Yuusaku replied cryptically. "Although I have to wonder… Shinichi, why is your friend floating in midair?"

"Miboshi!" Heiji hissed a little desperately.

"Miboshi?" Yuusaku said, his eyes widening.

"You're not Amiboshi," Akako said softly, staring at the novelist.

"No, I am not my brother," Yuusaku replied softly A stunned silence settled over the room.

"What?" Shinichi almost-screeched. "My  _dad_  is  _Suboshi_?"

"This," Ai said, "is unexpected."

Ran patted Shinichi on the back as he slumped forward, head cradled in his hands. "This is the worst day of my life," the kokosei-tantei moaned.

"Even worse than the day you sh-"

"Zip it, Tasuki!" Shinichi glared at the wing seishi.

"I guess this is what you would call karma," Eisuke mused. "Suboshi killed your father-" Shinichi, Yuusaku, and Conan all flinched, "-so he was reborn as your father."

"It seems to me like Taiitsukun had a lot of fun reincarnating us," Sonoko grumbled, covertly gazing at Eisuke.

"Yes. Yes, I did," a voice boomed from above. Everyone exchanged somewhat nervous glances.

"Did I imagine it, or did that- just-" Shiratori pointed a finger upwards.

"Taiitsukun's changed," Yukiko mused. "She was always appearing to Takiko as a young child. Not too different from Co-chan here!" She hugged the boy again, and for just a second, Conan thought he could see a devious gleam in her eyes.

"You're a Celestial Warrior, too?" Takagi questioned incredulously.

"Geez, Tama, it run in the family or somethin'?" Hattori joked.

"I'm going to kill you later," Shinichi mumbled, trying to sort through the jumbled mess that was now his life. "Ran, remind me to kill him later."

"Mm-hmm!" Yukiko hummed happily. "Su-chan got the call, so we took a plane back to Japan. And, really, stress just plays havoc with my hair!"

"What are you talking about? What call?" Mitsuhiko asked.

" _The_  call, of course," Yuusaku replied. "The call of the miko to her warriors. We are drawn to her chi, and wherever she goes, we go."

"Wait a sec. Does that mean we're going to have  _more_  bad guys in black dropping in on us, no da?" Kaito demanded.

"More?"

"Chiriko and Haibara were attacked this afternoon," Conan said from Yukiko's grasp.

"And why didn't any of  _us_  feel 'The Call'," Sonoko demanded, "and why-" She cut off. "Kudo-kun, why are you glowing?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ha ha, the Evil Cliffie of Doom strikes again! Anyone can guess who Yukiko is? There is a clue there, although I'm not sure whether it was subtle or not... ^^; Poor, poor Shinichi XD I really do torture him, don't I? And the whole, 'Taiitsukun had fun reincarnating them,' that was Morwen Mai's idea. :) Well, please remember to review! They make me happy.


	44. Lover's Reconciliation

Slowly, Shinichi became aware of his surroundings. The ache in his body was sadly more than familiar. _I guess I changed, huh?_  he thought. _In front… of…_ His eyes widened. "Shit, I am so screwed," he muttered, holding his head in his hands.

"Pretty observant, Shinichi," a voice he knew all too well said.

Ran was sitting next to his bed. Someone must have carried him upstairs to his room, he absently noticed. Back to the matter at hand: Surviving the Wrath of Ran.

"Why didn't you tell me?" the brunette asked. "Don't you… trust me?"

"Ran, I-"

"For Suzaku's sake,  _Tasuki_  knew about you!" she exclaimed angrily. "Shinichi-"

"I didn't want to put you in danger!" Shinichi told her.

"I was in danger all the same! All those cases with all those murders; didn't  _that_  ever occur to you?" Ran demanded. By the slightly stricken look on his face, it hadn't. "Every single phone call… every time you 'came back'… all the lies… it  _hurt_ , Shinichi."

"Miaka… Ran…" Shinichi started. "E-every time I called, every damn lie I told you… It tore me apart inside!" He looked away, biting his lip. "If I hadn't been acting to keep you safe, I-Ran…" He gazed at her beseechingly, then said, "I love you, Ran."

"Tamahome… Shinichi…" She hugged him. "You mystery loving baka," Ran said, voice quavering with unshed tears. "I love you, too, you know."

"I know," he replied simply, his usually childish tone mature. They stayed like that a moment, simply enjoying the other's presence.

"I'm sorry, you know," Shinichi apologized.

"Baka… I already told you, I know, too," Ran replied.

"Ours is a complicated life. Lives," the shrunken teen amended.

"Mm, it is," the karateka agreed.

"How's Chuei?" Shinichi asked after a moment.

"So you  _were_  telling the truth about that."

He winced as they settled for sitting on the bed side by side. "Yeah. Sorry about that."

"He's… okay."

Shinichi heard the unspoken 'something.' "Define 'okay'."

"Do you remember when you first came out of the book to my world?"

"Yes," Shinichi said, smiling softly. It had been one of the best and worst days of his life.

"Well, remember when we went to the café, and when I was talking to Keisuke…" Ran trailed off.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he said in disbelief.

Ran shook her head. "He has no reflection or shadow. Miboshi thinks it's because of you…  _reverting_  back.""

"Oh," Shinichi groaned. "Everyone saw that, didn't they?"

"Yes, they did," Ran smiled sympathetically.

"As if the people who  _already_  knew weren't enough," he muttered.

"Your tou-san told us what happened, Tasuki filling in some of the gaps." She paused. "You know, I find it  _very_  disturbing he's the reincarnation of Suboshi."

"Don't I know it," the shrunken tantei grumbled. "It's crazy, I tell you. Taiitsukun did this on  _purpose_ , I swear." Ran giggled a little at seeing the look on 'Conan's' face.

"And now there's two of me," Shinichi mused. "Or rather, two of Conan." He looked sidelong at Ran. "And somehow, I doubt ojii-san is going to let another kid stay with you guys; even if we try to pass us off as twins."

Ran laughed at that. "We better make sure Chichiri doesn't get shrunk, then, or else you'll be triplets!"

Shinichi groaned, burying his head under a pillow. "Are they still out there?" he asked, voice muffled.

"Actually, Mitsukake and Shirato-  _Hikitsu_ , left. Apparently they had to get back to the station," Ran informed him. "The others are still here, though."

"I do  _not_  want to go back down there," he grumbled.

Ran sighed. "C'mon, Tamahome," she said softly, lifting the pillow off of him. "These are people we  _know_. We've seen each other in all sorts of situations, good and bad." At Shinichi's silence and the pout on his face, she frowned. "And if you don't get down there right now, I'm going to carry you."

Quickly, Shinichi got off the bed, trotting down the hallway. Ran had to stifle a giggle at the almost terrified look on his face. _No more masks_ , she vowed. _You can't hide from me anymore, Shinichi._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Aaaand, we finally got to the romance! And to answer your question, HikariPachi, Yin7, Conan's still there, he's just sorta a pseudo-vampire ^^; Hopefully I'll finish this day next chapter. Argh, almost 20 chapters for one frickin' day! It's rather depressing, really... well, anyways, remember to review, everyone!


	45. Rants and Curses

Downstairs, while Ran was talking to Shinichi, Sonoko was fuming. "That Kudo-kun! Making Miaka-Ran-chan worry like that—I've a mind to knock him through a wall!" she ranted.

"He didn't really have a choice in th' matter, ya know," Heiji scowled. He vainly wished for his harisen.

"But still, he could've told Ran something more! I mean, you, Chichiri, and Kudo-kun's parents already knew!" That  _was_  true, the Osakan had to admit. Although Haibara knew too… Just then, the very person they were talking about appeared, coming down the stairs and then into the living room.

"You irresponsible dolt!" Sonoko ranted, crossing to the shrunken tantei. "If you weren't like this I would hit you, because you sure as hell deserve it!"

"N-Nuriko," Shinichi stuttered.

"Don't you 'Nuriko' me!" the girl scolded. "Making Miaka-Ran-chan worry like that! And  _you_!" Rounding, she turned to Heiji, who jumped. " _You_  could have at least told us something! Being all cryptic and not saying  _anything_  and then-" the blonde cut off as her cell phone vibrated.

She pulled it out. "A text?" Sonoko muttered as Ran entered the room. The brunette took in Hattori and Shinichi's somewhat shaken expressions and sighed inwardly. Sonoko could be a force of nature when she wanted to be.

"Okay, that is so not funny!" the willow seishi burst suddenly, causing everyone's warning signals to go haywire.

"What are you talking about?" Ran asked.

Sonoko glared at Heiji. "Very funny, Tasuki, but I'm not  _that_  superstitious!"

"What are ya babblin' 'bout now?" Hattori scowled.

"You know what! This text you just sent!"

" _What_  text?"

" _This_  one!" Sonoko shoved the phone at Heiji's face.

Stumbling back a step, he then read it, his face falling into a deadpan expression. "Nuriko, I don' even have my phone  _on_."

"Then this is  _someone's_  idea of a practical joke!" she ranted, gesticulating madly with her hands as the others sweat dropped.

"What does it say, exactly?" Mitsuhiko finally asked.

"It says 'Your phone is now cuuuuursed~~~~~,' and it says it's from Nakago!" Silence. "I'm  _serious_!"

"Um, you're right, it's probably just a practical joke," Eisuke soothed her rather nervously.

"Okay, Hotohori-sama!" Sonoko agreed cheerfully, shocking everyone else.

 _Even though he's been reincarnated like this, Nuriko's still totally devoted to him_ , Shinichi marveled. _I'm not sure whether to be deeply impressed or incredibly annoyed with her._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Finally, I am over writer's block! And Saturday is over! *angelic chorus* And I totally blame Morwen Mai for the whole cursed cell phone thing! Well, technically, it was originally Chewy's idea, but Morwen Mai is the one who somehow squeezed it into this chapter! Urgh! I hate you right now, sis...


	46. Verdant Envy

_Ugh,_ school _,_ Kaito thought in despair. _I don't wanna get up, no da!_  Nevertheless, grumbling, he rolled over to shut off his alarm. Yawning, the teen magician stumbled to the bathroom. After taking a quick shower, he was washing his face when suddenly he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror.

Kaito softly caressed a hand over his unscarred left eye. Somehow… it somehow seemed both wrong  _and_  right at the same time. Eyes… both of them, they both had such striking eyes, captivating… Dressing in his uniform, Kaito trotted down the stairs. He grinned as he saw Jii enter through the front door, some flowers in his hand.

"Hey, Jii!" he greeted.

"Kaito-bocchama," the older man replied. "Is your mother here?"

"I dunno. I just got up, so I haven't seen kaa-san." Actually, he  _did_  know; he always knew where his mother was, by tracking her chi. He'd developed his shichiseishi powers shortly after his father's death, something which Kaito suspected was some sort of defense mechanism. It was also the only secret he'd ever kept from Jii, from his mother…

Shaking his head, Kaito forced himself out of his self-induced guilt trip. Grateful that Jii had gone to find to find his mother and therefore had not noticed the teen's behavior, he followed his mother's light green chi to the kitchen, stopping when he heard her and Jii talking.

"They're beautiful, Tatara!" Kaito heard Hikaru Toichi exclaim softly.

"Only the best for you," the old man replied affectionately.

Kaito's breath caught. _Tatara…? A Byakku shichiseishi?_  His thoughts cut off as he heard them talking more.

"Thank you for keeping an eye on Kaito for me," Hikaru said quietly. "He's been so withdrawn lately… I worry about him."

"Suzuno-san," Jii murmured. "I made a promise to Toichi-sama that I would protect his family. If anyone keeps an eye on the young master, I will."

Kaito fought back the urge to laugh hysterically. This was so utterly surreal that he was tempted to pinch himself to make certain he wasn't dreaming. Well, now he could understand how Tamahome felt when he found out Suboshi was reincarnated as his father.

Besides being utterly shocked, Kaito felt a little betrayed. It wasn't as though the Byakku warriors had been their enemies. Heck, they'd given the Suzaku warriors Suzuno's shinzaho! And apparently his  _mother_  was…

 _Okay, Kaito, Chichiri, KID, everyone in there, just calm down,_  he told himself. _Poker Face. I'm just going to go in there, get some breakfast, then go to school and annoy the hell out of Hakuba. Yeah._  It was a plan, at least.

Pasting a smile on his Poker Face, Kaito entered the kitchen. "Morning kaa-san, Jii!" His 'no da' habit he'd finally gotten a hold of and managed to suppress most of the time.

"Oh! Good morning, Kaito," Hikaru greeted her son.

"Nice flowers, Jii. You getting a green thumb or something?" Kaito joked as his mother took care of putting said plants in some water.

"A little," Jii replied, a slightly nostalgic expression playing across his face. Something sharp twisted inside him, and Kaito crossed the kitchen.

"I'm gonna grab some toast and run, I've got something to take care of before school," he explained hurriedly.

He was halfway out the door with a piece of toast stuffed in his mouth when his mother called, "Kaito, wait!" The teen magician turned. "Kaito… you know that if you're having problems, or if you're in trouble you can talk to me, right?"

His Poker Face changed, accommodating a soft smile. "I know, kaa-san. I know." Then he took off again.

The sky outside was cloudy, and Kaito scowled at them. Even the weather seemed to match his mood, and for once in his life, he was contemplating skipping school for  _normal_ reasons.

"Kaito!" he heard a familiar voice that made his heart jump and go helter-skelter, something which he would vehemently deny should anyone ask.

"Hey, Aoko," he greeted the girl with a smile that, for once that morning, wasn't a part of his Poker Face.

Aoko smiled back. "You look like you're feeling better," she commented.

"Eh?" Kaito asked.

"The last few days you've been kind of quiet, not to mention you and Akako-chan have actually been getting along! Not that I have anything against you two getting along," Aoko added hurriedly, "but most of the time you two are just polite to each other."

"Mm, true," Kaito mused, tipping his head back to look at the sky, which looked as stormy as he was feeling. "It's raining," he added.

"Huh?" Aoko asked, also looking up. "It's not raining yet."

"No, it's raining." The boy's voice shook for a moment, and Aoko gently laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Kaito?" she asked worriedly.

Looking over his shoulder at her, he grinned. "You're so gullible, Aoko!"

For a moment, the mop wielding girl saw red. "Well, can I help it if I'm worried about you?" Realizing what she just said, she blushed.

"Aoko," Kaito started, his expression serious. "Thanks," he smiled, and this time it reached his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Aww, sweet little Kaito/Aoko moment. And two more identities revealed. Kaito's mom didn't have an official name at the time this was written so I gave her the name Hikaru because it means light, so I thought it was perfect for the Byakku no Miko. So yeah, hope that doesn't ruffle anyone's proverbial feathers too much -.-;;
> 
> And I'm finally done with Saturday! 20 chapters... for one day! And then we skip Sunday and today is Monday... *slump* Well, anyways, please review!


	47. Doppelganger Discussion

"Tamahome! Ai-san!" Shinichi and Ai turned to see Mitsuhiko running towards them. He stopped in front of the duo, panting slightly. "How was the rest of your weekend?"

"Uh, it was okay, Mitsuhiko-kun, but could you not call me Tamahome when other people are around?" Shinichi inquired.

"Oh, yeah! Gomen," the freckled boy apologized. "How was the rest of  _your_ weekend, Ai-san?" he asked Ai shyly.

"It was all right, Mitsuhiko-kun," she replied, smiling. "Mainly trying to convince Agasa-hakase that, no, there wasn't some kind of party going on next door." They exchanged snickers at that.

"Still, I can't believe that you're really…" Mitsuhiko looked around cautiously before whispering "Shinichi Kudo."

"What is it with you and Hattori's apparent fascination with my name?" Shinichi scowled. "Is 'Conan' too hard to remember or something?"

"Well, it's just that it's bordering on the impossible!" Mitsuhiko replied, not too rebuffed by the shrunken tantei's attitude.

"I'm here, aren't I?" Shinichi raised an eyebrow sardonically.

"Yes, you are," Ai interrupted the boys' conversation.

"So, I take it Chuei's not going to be coming to school with us?" Mitsuhiko asked after a moment of awkward silence.

"No, it'd be too difficult. If we tried to pass him off as my brother or something, but then he stayed when Haibara eventually develops the cure and I turn back to normal, it would just look weird. So, since my parents are back for now, they're going to look after him," Shinichi informed the youngest seishi.

"Wait a minute. You said Ai-san is going to develop a cure?" Mitsuhiko gave the two a speculative look.

"In my previous life as the Seiryuu no Miko, I was quite the scientist," Ai smoothly fibbed, shooting Shinichi a sidelong glare that told him to shut his big fat mouth. The bespectacled boy promptly complied with her silent order.

Looking a bit strangely at the two, Mitsuhiko opened his mouth to say something when he was interrupted by a shout of "Ai-chan!" The three turned to see Ayumi and Genta running towards them, the former having been the one shouting.

"Ai-chan, are you okay? That man in the park didn't hurt you or anything, did he?" the small brunette asked anxiously.

"Yeah, he looked pretty mean!" Genta added, nodding.

"I'm fine," Ai told them. "Mitsuhiko-kun and I gave him directions to the shrine he was looking for, and then he left." She, of course, didn't mention he'd attacked her and Mitsuhiko, was then beaten to an inch of his life by Sonoko, then on Sunday morning had died, his body vanishing without leaving so much as a clue as to who sent him; though everyone's proverbial three guesses were on Nakago. And the first two didn't count. Oh, yes, there was a lot the shrunken scientist didn't tell the other members of the Shonen Tantei-Dan.

As if reading her thoughts, Mitsuhiko sent her a small, secretive grin which she returned. Surprisingly, the only one who caught this was Ayumi, who suddenly looked extremely proud. "Well, we'd better hurry if we want to get to class on time!" the brunette exclaimed, pulling Genta and Conan along, leaving the other two behind them to walk their own pace.

Sending Ayumi a silent thanks, Mitsuhiko tentatively slipped his hand into Ai's. They smiled at each other, and, slightly blushing, followed their friends into the school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, there goes their only lead on whoever sent the assassin/murderer/whatever after Ai. Please remember to review!


	48. Nostalgic Purchase

"That ahou," Kazuha muttered. "Goin' off without so much as tellin' me  _anythin_ '!" The Osakan girl fumed, already planning retribution towards her childhood friend.

 _Or is 'e somethin'_ more _?_  that treacherous little part of her mind whispered. She shook her head, trying to clear it. _Ah, c'mon, ya know ya like 'im. He's devoted, smokin' hot-_

 _-brash, reckless, an' an ahou of astronomical proportions,_  the sane part of her mind countered.

"How freaky is this? I'm havin' an argument with m'self, and I'm kinda losin'," she muttered, sighing. Stopping at the corner, she noticed a sign on a nearby lawn. _A garage sale?_ Kazuha thought. _Well, it'll help me get m'mind off that ahou!_

Cutting through the yard, Kazuha made her way to the back. Several tables were scattered around, piled with miscellaneous junk.

"Hello."

Kazuha turned to see an old woman behind her. "Looking for anything in particular?" she asked.

"Uh, no, no, I'm not. Just lookin'," the girl told her.

"Well, if anything catches your eye, just tell me." The old woman turned back to her house.

Kazuha looked over the things on one table, then the next. "Wow, there's a lotta old stuff," she muttered to herself. Spotting a pair of nunchakus, she hefted them experimentally. Aikido was pretty much hand to hand, but Kazuha had a small amount of weapons expertise. Sometimes being around Heiji, ahou that he was, paid off.

She blushed as she thought of Heiji, how his emerald eyes sometimes glittered in the light, stunningly offset by the dark skin that came from his grandfather's side of the family. Those broad shoulders and that dark hair that looked just perfect to run your hands through as- Whoa, was it getting hot in here, or was it just her?

Trying to dispel the heat that had risen to her face, Kazuha's gaze was drawn to a metal silver fan. It glittered slightly, and was bound together at the bottom with teal cloth. As she laid her hand on it to pick it up-

_A pointed, knowing grin made his heart go helter-skelter, and those intoxicating amber eyes drew him in. Flame-red hair took on a tousled look as he shouted, "Rekka-"_

"Have you found anything?"

Kazuha jumped. The woman running the garage sale was behind her. "I'm sorry, did I startle you?"

"Uh, k-kinda," the Osakan girl stuttered. "Sorry, I was jus' kinda… nostalgic, I guess." _Nostalgic? I ain't never seen this thing before; how can I feel_  nostalgic _?_

"Would you like the harisen, then?" the woman asked.

"Huh? Uh…" Kazuha picked it up, silently complaining, _Geez, this thing's_  heavy _!_  As she held it, her decision was made. "Yeah, I'll take it," she confirmed. "Uh, how much-"

"It's for someone close for you, isn't it?" the old woman inquired, smiling slightly. Kazuha blushed. "You can have it," she told the girl, patting her hand. "You'd be doing this old woman a favor, anyways, taking it off my hands."

"Ah, uh, arigato!" Kazuha stammered out her thanks.

"Here," the old woman took the harisen and put it in a bag. "And tell my boy Genrou to drop by sometime to visit his old mum, child."

"Uh, okay," Kazuha replied, confused. _Who's Genrou?_ she thought. Then, _I hope that ahou likes 'is present. He better, or…_  her thought trailed off ominously, but Kazuha smiled as she felt the weight in the bag of the gift she'd bought for Heiji on nothing more than a nostalgic whim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh, this has been my favorite chapter so far. I was thinking when I first started this story: "How is everyone going to get their things back?" Well, Kaito just conjures his, Eisuke... well, we'll get to him, and Heiji gets his harisen at a garage sale XD Bonus points to anyone who can guess who Kazuha is in the flashback ;D "Genrou" is Tasuki's 'real' name, as said in the fourteenth volume of Fushigi Yuugi. The old lady was his mom. She's a great character ^^ Please remember to review!


	49. Further Deductions

Said ahou was currently staring a hole in the back of Yuusaku's head, trying to determine the Seiryuu seishi's true (if any) motive.

"Tasuki, I  _can_  feel that, you know," the author told him.

"Well, ya may be Kudo's tou-san, but ya  _were_  Suboshi before," Hattori scowled. "'Scuse me fer bein' cautious."

"Really, I would expect nothing else," Yuusaku replied, smiling enigmatically. "But shouldn't you be getting back to Osaka? It  _is_  a school day."

"Nah, there's some sorta teacher workshop conference or somethin', so we don' have school today."

"Hey, Tasuki-san, Kudo-san!" they heard Chuei call. "I found something!" They exchanged glances, then headed up the stairs to the guest room Tamahome's younger brother was occupying.

"Yeah? What is it, Chuei?" Hattori asked, looking over the boy's shoulder. Spread out on the desk were notes on the killings. "Did Mitsukake drop those off?" Chuei nodded, chewing on the end of his pencil a moment.

"It's a little weird," the boy admitted. "I mean, I can remember  _everything_  - Shinichi Kudo and Conan Edogawa- but I know I'm not either of them at the same time. It's confusing." He rubbed his forehead a little wearily. "Anyways, I found something.

"The first seven victims all had the tattoo of a Suzaku seishi. They were found displayed in semi-public places, the first being found by us- the Shonen Tantei- nine days ago. But the eighth victim had the tattoo of a  _Genbu_ seishi, and was found in the same place as the first body." Chuei's blue gaze became piercing.

"I'd bet that the next body will have the tattoo of a Genbu warrior, and in the same place as the second body."

Yuusaku and Heiji pondered this information a moment. "Yer probably right Ku- er, Chuei," Heiji nodded. "But that still leaves a couple of important questions."

"What's the motive of this killer; and how many more will die," Yuusaku finished grimly.

* * *

_Pff, this is child's play,_  he thought as he glided through the crowded street, carefully weaving between people. The sight of the dead body slung over his shoulder would most likely have caused a commotion, but his technique was far too advanced for that. _Not much time left,_ thought the man. _Two down and three to go…_

* * *

Shiratori and Takagi were in the latter's office, quietly discussing what to do should anymore attacks happen, when Chiba came bursting in.

"There's… been…" he panted, trying to catch his breath. After a moment he got a hold of himself, pulling himself back together. "There've been five more bodies found," Chiba informed his co-workers before turning to Shiratori and listing, "Uruki, Hikitsu, Tomite, Urumiya, and Namame." Takagi stared. How did his friend…?

"Ironic," Shiratori mused. "You're the only one not there." Chiba smirked rather sadly in agreement.

Takagi looked between the two. "Are you-" he asked Chiba somewhat incredulously.

"Ah," Chiba smiled, then held out his hand to his friend. "How rude of me. Hatsui, Genbu shichiseishi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Mwa ha ha, Evil Cliffie of Doom! Sorta ^^; Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter, and please review review review!


	50. Unexpected Danger

Ran sighed for what must have been the umpteenth time as she gazed out the window. She couldn't keep her mind on the lesson, too worried about Shinichi, Chuei, and the rest of this whole complicated situation. And there was also that feeling she'd had since this morning. The feeling that something was wrong…

She felt something poke her back, and turned slightly to see Sonoko looking at her with a worried expression.  _What's wrong?_  The blonde seemed to ask, before mouthing,  _Is it about your husband?_  Ran's blush was answer enough.

Suddenly, a bell rung out, the shrill tone of the fire alarm startling in the (for the most part) silence. "Straight and orderly line, please!" Jodie-sensei shouted to be heard above the screeching alarm as she herded the teens towards the door.

The hallways were packed with students being led by their teachers to the designated exits. The foreboding feeling Ran had at least doubled, and she shivered involuntarily.

"Miaka-Ran-chan?" Sonoko asked, noticing her friend's movement. "Are you all right?"

"Something feels off," Ran replied softly as the students marched en masse to a safe distance away from the school.  _Something's going to happen,_  she thought, suddenly extremely aware of how vulnerable they were out in the open.

* * *

"All right, we'll be moving on to geography now," Kobayashi-sensei told the class. As the students started to put away their math books, Ai stiffened, a frightened look passing over her face before her expression was carefully schooled blank.

"Haibara? Are you all right?" Shinichi asked in a low voice, having noticed her behavior.

"I-I can feel a Seiryuu seishi nearby," the blonde replied softly, slightly shivering.

"Ai-chan? Are you okay?" Ayumi asked her friend worriedly.

"Ai-san?" Mitsuhiko laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm alright; just cold is all," Ai told them. As the shrunken scientist assured the others she was fine, Shinichi was deep in thought.

 _If she felt that, then there's a good chance it's an Organization member as well._  The chibi tantei's frown deepened, a feeling of dread settling over him. He gazed out the window, sapphire eyes suddenly old.  _Be safe, Miaka._

* * *

"So you're both a part of this seishi thing like Wataru is?" Sato inquired as she took the spot of driver in the car as they drove to the first of the crime scenes. "And the people who are being killed, they're part of this big conspiracy thing that you have no clues about the motive of?"

After Takagi had assured that, no, he was not dreaming, nor were either Shiratori or Chiba KID in disguise, he had told them in no uncertain terms that Miwako would have to be told, seeing as she already knew about his ability, and she already had her own suspicions as to the recent strange activites of her coworkers.

"Of course, I  _do_  have inside information with Yumi," Miwako winked at Chiba, who blushed. Just then, Shiratori's phone rang.

"Shiratori," the curly-haired officer answered. "Megure-keibu?" His eyes widened. "Got it." He hung up. "Sato-san,turn us back around!"

"Okey-doke!" Miwako grinned somewhat recklessly.

Takagi paled. "Ah, no, wait-"

With a twist of the wheel, Sato made a sharp U-turn, something which made all the other car's occupants' stomachs flip.

"I  _told_  you," Takagi muttered, regaining his sense of a direction after a moment.

"That is the  _last_  time I am driving with your girlfriend," Chiba declared, his face pale.

Miwako blushed as Wataru groaned before the latter turned to Shiratori. "What did Megure-keibu say?"

"There've been reports of gunfire outside of Teitan High School," Shiratori replied grimly.

 _I hope Ran-san is safe,_  Takagi thought even as Miwako turned on the sirens and pressed the accelerator.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Remember to review, if you would be so kind! ^_^


	51. Assassination

The students had been standing outside of the school for about 15 minutes now, and worried murmurs were passing through the crowd.

"Do you suppose something happened?" Ran asked Sonoko, who shrugged.

"Could be. It's times like these I wish for that crystal ball Taiitsukun gave us!"

Suddenly, the blonde's cell phone went off. Sonoko answered it quickly, hoping no one else had heard it ring.

 _One text message_ , the inbox read. Curiously, she opened it.

"What's wrong?" Ran asked as she saw her frown. She leaned over so she could read the message as well.

 _To stop a serpent, one must cut off the head_ , the message read.

"That's weird," Sonoko muttered. "Who could…?" Her eyes widened suddenly, a look of panic overtaking her. "Ran, move!" she cried, pushing the other girl out of the way just as a bullet hit the ground where Ran had just been standing. Chips of cement flew from the ground, propelled loose by the force of the bullet hitting.

Students and teachers alike panicked. Though there had been no sound of a gunshot, people near Ran and Sonoko had witnessed the attack, and word spread quickly. The girls looked around quickly, trying to locate the source of the sniper. Ran jerked Sonoko back just in time, causing the other girl to only be grazed along her arm.

"We have to get out of here!" Ran cried, dragging Sonoko along as she looked around, trying to find a place that would provide them with cover away from the student body. "Are you hurt badly?"

"No, it's just a graze," Sonoko replied.

"Girls!" The two whirled around to see their English teacher approaching them. "This way!" The American guided them out of sight around the corner of a nearby building quickly.

"Jodie-sensei!" Sonoko exclaimed.

The older woman motioned for her to be quiet. "Damn, there's more than one," the spectacled teacher muttered.

"More than- how do you know?" Ran questioned. She suddenly found herself holding an armful of children's clothing. "W-what are you doing?"

"Come with me," Jodie told Ran and Sonoko, who followed her hesitantly.

As they reached the end of the alley, Jodie said," I'll have to do something in order to disguise you, otherwise there's no way you're getting out of here alive looking as you do now."

"Subaru!" Ran gasped in sudden recognition.

"Subaru?" Sonoko questioned.

"How did you know me?" the FBI agent asked, looking quite surprised.

"You wouldn't know her Nuriko, we met her after you died, but she's a Byakku shichiseishi!" Ran explained.

"Oh my goodness, Miaka?" Jodie gasped. She hugged the dark-haired teen tightly.

"What's her celestial power?" Sonoko asked.

"I can change the age of a person's body," the older woman explained.

"Ohh, that would explain the children's clothes," Sonoko nodded.

"There's no way the students will be going to class after this, which is actually lucky for us, since I won't have to explain why you two didn't show up," Jodie mused as she changed Ran behind the cover of a Dumpster.

Just as she'd finished with Sonoko, and the blonde girl was switching clothes, a sudden roar shook the air.

"Oh, Byakku," Jodie whispered, her eyes wide in horror.

Peering around the Dumpster, the two teens turned children gaped at the school, which was now in flames.

"Do you have a safe place in mind?" Ran asked, her childish voice hushed. "Because if not, it would probably best if we went to the Kudo house?"

"That's where our Base of Ops, as Tasuki calls it, is," Sonoko explained as she drew her and Ran's clothing into a bundle. Wordlessly nodding, Jodie led the two out of the alley, and then, the crowd distracted by the flames and trying to reach safety, led them to her car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: All right, be honest now; how many people saw that coming? SG-chan thinks that UoFT, while one of her babies, isn't quite as up to par as her more recent stories are; it's been about a year since this was written, so my writing style's changed, and I thought this chapter was pretty cliched and not so epically foreshadowed ^^; Maybe that's just me though...
> 
> Anywho, review review review please!


	52. Inferno Greet

The phone in the Kudo house rang, and Yuusaku went to go answer it. It was Shiratori.

"Ah, Kudo-sensei?" the curly-haired officer questioned.

"Yes?" Yuusaku answered.

"Five more bodies have been found, all the Genbu warriors excluding Hatsui."

"Kuso," the author cursed.

"Also, I think you may want to turn the TV on to the news," Shiratori said.

"Why?" asked Yuusaku.

"There's a fire at Teitan High," Shiratori replied quietly. "And it hasn't been confirmed yet, but there were reports of gunfire."

The reincarnated horn seishi quickly reached a conclusion. It wasn't good. "The fire must have been started to smoke everyone out of the building, then they would be picked off." The unspoken targets hung in the air nonetheless.

"Oi! Suboshi!" Hattori called from upstairs.

Yuusaku quickly hung up and then ascended to the second floor. "What?"

"Ya might wanna come see this." Heiji and Chuei were watching a report on the television, their faces grim. Yuusaku inhaled sharply at the image on-screen of the school, firefighters doing their best to douse the flames that currently were burning fiercely.

 _This is_ not _good_ , the author thought.

* * *

It was right before lunch, and Mitsuhiko was the first to notice a bright glow, which was followed quickly by the sound of sirens. He got Ayumi and Genta's attention by poking them when the teacher wasn't looking. He needn't have bothered with Ai and Shinichi though, because at nearly the same time both their heads shot up, expressions panicked for a moment before they were carefully schooled blank. The three shared a glance, and Mitsuhiko tried to give a reassuring smile, even though he felt in the pit of his stomach some dark emotion he was sure he was better off not knowing about.

* * *

The fire was on pretty much all the news channels and the occupants of the Kudo house switched between them, checking for updates. Roughly half an hour after Yuusaku had first gotten the call from Shiratori, the doorbell rang.

Yuusaku closed his eyes and focused on sensing the chi of the person at the doorbell, only to find there were three people, two of them familiar.

"Miaka and Suzuki-san are here," Yuusaku told Hattori and Chuei, then hurried down to the door. Opening it, he blinked in surprise at the Blonde woman with glasses and the two children who looked very… familiar… 

 _Oh no_. Ushering them inside, Kudo shut the door, and then turned to the blonde woman. "And you would be?" he asked.

"Are you Yuusaku Kudo?" she inquired.

"Of course he's that baka Kudo-kun's father," Sonoko piped up, her childish soprano indignant. "Can't you see the family relationship?"

"I think you mean 'familial resemblance'," Ran interjected, flashing the adults an apologetic smile. "Sorry Jodie-sensei, Kudo-ojiisan. Subaru," she turned to Jodie, "this is Suboshi."

"Oi Suboshi! Don' jus' run off like that without sayin' anythin'! Who's at the… door?" Hattori's rant trailed off as he took in Ran and Sonoko. "Oh, crap, you guys too?" he exclaimed. Then he noticed Jodie. "An' what's yer teacher here fer? Aren't you with the FBI?" he added sotto voce.

"Tasuki-san-" Chuei stopped, eyes widening as he saw the people downstairs. "Oh no, not you two too!"

"Cool Kid? What're you doing here?" Jodie asked, confused, just as Ran realized why the guys were kind of freaking out.

"Ah, no! Jodie-sensei –  _Subaru's_  celestial power allows her to control the age of a person's body," Ran explained.

The guys' eyes took on a certain gleam. "Really?" Yuusaku inquired. The girls sweatdropped at the calculating expressions on the men's faces.

"In any case, shut the door!" Hattori said. As Ran and Sonoko went off with Chuei to go get some water, Jodie turned to the Detective of the West and the author.

"Would either of you like to explain what's going on now?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A clarification I thought I'd put in: When it says 'the author', it means Yuusaku, not SG-chan XD As I was rereading it after I typed it up it sounded funny, so I thought I'd just clear that up ^^

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I know that it's technically three detectives and a thief, but just don't question the pseudo-logic, 'kay? ^^


End file.
